The Best Medicine
by obsidian dreamer
Summary: What happens when a playful revenge scheme goes slightly awry? Will it bring two Mobians closer together? KnuxRouge - continuation from Angel of Darkness and Ice. Please R&R. COMPLETE but to be continued...
1. Default Chapter

**The Best Medicine.**

Legal Disclaimer and Random stuff – All the characters in this fiction are owned by Sega; right that's me protected from a lawsuit I can't afford. Just to add I think I've changed Cream's age and personality from the games a little – if Tails is supposed to be twelve, Cream is about eleven (give Eggman some credit – even he could design a machine to beat a six-year old!) She's also not quite as sugar-sweet as she's supposed to be in game – as I see it she's been hanging with Sonic and the crew for a while now and has changed a little because of it.

This fic is a continuation from my first work – Angel of Darkness and Ice. I strongly suggest you read that before reading this, though I don't think it's essential. Hopefully AODAI was the start of a major story arc – the dark angel Seraph will return!

That's the standard notices – now on with the show!

Part 1.

_Today's the day Knucklehead_, the familiar shadow of Rouge the bat swooped down to land on the pristine grass of Angel Island, the attractive Mobian swinging the small bag from around her waist and checking the contents. She'd been planning this for the past week and had set off _very_ early in the morning to ensure she could get the jump on her erstwhile quarry. A devilish smile broke across her face as she asserted all her equipment was present and correct; pretty soon she'd have Knuckles at her mercy. Grinning at the thought, Rouge ran her tongue along her teeth as she envisioned the scene in a couple of hours, revelling in every tiny detail as her mind allowed her to picture the scene faultlessly. She'd teach that smarmy echidna that if a woman scorned is dangerous, a woman embarrassed could be Lucifer incarnate. Still, it wasn't ready yet; she still needed to find Knuckles then trick him into going under. _Well, at least part one's easy_…without a second glance she spread her wings and arrowed off into the sky, pin-pointing her destination with ease of long familiarity.

The morning was slightly murky and overcast, but it was still tolerably warm; however, there was no denying that the air was beginning to gain the sharp bite of winter. Due to its higher altitude, Angel Island was always one of the first places to feel the cold snap of the long, dark months and thus its guardian had to ensure his territory was able to resist the grip of the winter's teeth. Knuckles had already done what he could; he'd made sure the emerald shrine was fully bulwarked against the infiltration of frost and freeze-thaw and had just started to trim the highest mushrooms on his island; if one of them toppled the damage could be severe as, despite the lightweight look of the oversized fungi, the damn things probably weighed in the region of a couple of tonnes each. _Mushroom trimming; a job from Hell's own wanted column_ – Knuckles groaned as he realised that was what his day was going to entail. It was hard, gruelling work and the spores kept getting lodged deep in his red fur; no matter how often he stood beneath one of the many waterfalls that trickled down his island, he could grantee there'd still be one of the little grey dust-bunnies in there somewhere. As the guardian stood and stretched, he brightened as he realised he wouldn't be alone in this unpleasant endeavour. Thanks to events in the recent past, he'd have help against these living monoliths of the mushroom world.

It had been three months since the very public trial of Doctor Eggman which Knuckles had been requested and obliged to attend to give evidence. He'd had his turn in the witness box, coolly returning the hateful, slightly demented gaze of Eggman himself as he verified just some of the many crimes the fallen megalomaniac stood accused of. He hadn't been alone in this; Sonic, Shadow, Amy Rose, the Chaotix with the exception of Charmy and Rouge had also taken a stand against their enemy. Tails and Cream had also offered to give evidence but had been deemed too young to take a stand and, as the others had managed to convince them, it wasn't really needed anyway. Their word and the general slating Eggman had received from the press had been more than enough to ensure he was going down for a long time. Knuckles had kept his eyes on the human as the foreman of the jury had read out the verdict guilty to all crimes and had forced himself to repress a shudder; Eggman hadn't reacted, he'd just sat there as though none of this mattered. It may have been shock but somehow the guardian didn't think so; there was something malevolent about the obese human's cold, level stare as he was led away that defied classification and chilled the echidna to the bone. _Still, it doesn't matter now; a life-long sentence in a max security unit should give him long enough to think about what he's done_. Privately, Knuckles agreed with the judge's closing words – it was a shame the death penalty had been abolished for cases such as this.

As the trial had ended they'd all travelled back to Tails' workshop in the Mystic Ruins where Sonic had simply gone completely ballistic; as he had explained to the others, the day he'd fought tooth-and-nail for had finally arrived; Eggman was gone for good and wouldn't be coming back. The celebrations had lasted all day, most of the night and had continued into the day after that; Knuckles had been rapturously applauded as he'd been presented with a special present from Tails to commemorate the occasion. He now wore it in a small holster on his left thigh; it was a mobile phone that the fox had developed specially to be resistant to the echidna's physical lifestyle. It was shockproof, waterproof, heat resistant and as far as Knuckles could make out, indestructible. Though he hadn't admitted it, he was extremely grateful for this gift as it allowed him to contact the rest of his friends if he needed to. It was that contact that had allowed the guardian to make this job easier; he'd been randomly speaking to Amy when he'd let slip that the island needed some seasonal redecorating. Before he'd known exactly what had happened, the busy pink hedgehog had arranged people, places and transport and Knuckles had found himself with a relief force ready to arrive and lend a hand. He'd set the date for today and all he had to do now was wait for the Tornado to touch down. First though, as always, was the routine patrol of his territory, just on the off-chance someone had found their way here unduly. Flipping to his feet, Knuckles tested the wind, jumped up and began to glide towards his first and most important port of call, the Master Emerald Shrine.

"Is he still in bed?" Amy queried Shadow as the black hedgehog let her into the apartment he shared with her crush.

"Nah, he's just in the shower", he flicked the kettle on as he sat down, his unnatural crimson eyes regarding Amy as he asked, "tea or coffee?"

"Coffee please; white with two sugars", Amy set herself down at the small table and stretched luxuriously, shrugging off her rucksack and straightening her spines as she recounted the order of the day, "so we're waiting for Cream here, then going to the Mystic Ruins and Tails is getting us there in the Tornado".

"Sounds about right", Shadow sorted out a pair of cups from the side and poured milk into one of them, "Knucks said it'd probably take a couple of days to trim the mushies, then there's a section of lava reef he's not too comfortable with, so we'll be about five days; hope you brought enough to eat" he finished light-heartedly, eyes on the pink hedgehog's mighty rucksack. She grinned as she followed his glance,

"There's enough in there to last a three month famine, and enough spare clothes to last if anything goes wrong. Hope you two packed enough?"

"Just food, towels and toothbrushes".

"You don't know how lucky you are". She was interrupted as a door squeaked open and Sonic suddenly appeared in the kitchen door, rubbing the last of spines down with a towel.

"Hey Shads; hi Amy, glad you could make it", the blue hedgehog finished with the towel and threw it absent-mindedly towards the washing machine, "just Cream left to come then?"

"That's about the long and short of it – fancy a tea?"

"Nah, not right now", his eyes fell on Amy's provisions, "Amy, you know this is a helping trip not a mercy mission; Knuckles isn't starving up there". The pink hedgehog stuck her tongue out at him, fighting to stop a smile edging across her face.

"Yes, but unlike you I plan for emergencies; what would happen if we were stranded up there for a few weeks, hmm?"

"Why, I'd rely on your sweet nature and kind heart to provide me with food", Sonic hammed it up gleefully; it was a contest to see who'd smile first between him and Amy, "I know you're far too nice to let anyone suffer".

"And I know you're a shameless flatterer when you want something…rats", Amy lost as she smiled and chortled at Sonic's mortified expression; the blue blur gave a victory pose, grinning as he basked in the warm light of victory. Unseen by the pair of them, Shadow lifted the kettle and bit his lip, desperate not to give the game away by laughing – _I need to get a Dictaphone; the bribery would be priceless_.

Knuckles dropped to the ground and narrowed his eyes; there was something wrong here, he could feel it in his bones. Creeping closer to the shrine entrance, the echidna stealthily moved forwards, waiting for any hidden aggressors to reveal themselves or any traps they had lain to become plain to his trained eyes. No, it was safe and he carried on, scanning the area with every sense as he waited for danger. The guardian's senses were keener than a knife edge and he rapidly spotted the thing that was amiss; there was a small piece of paper stuck hastily up on the side of the ancient structure and even from here he could give an accurate guess as to what was happening. Only one person he knew would have the audacity to enter the heart of Angel Island and leave a polite notice of the fact.

Once she'd have given her two front teeth to be in this position, but now, now it was different; she didn't want the massive emerald she was currently running her hand over the top of, she had business with the guardian. He was coming; Rouge smiled as she reclined on the steps in front of the great jewel that was the Master Emerald, the light shed from the green gem giving a pleasant ambiance to the chamber, except where the green light was clashing with the bale red of the crimson Chaos emerald that stood on a small plinth off to her left. Though the bat wasn't completely sure, she thought that the Master Emerald somehow held the energy from the smaller Chaos emeralds in check, though quite how that worked was beyond her. She could hear the current guardian was coming down the passageway to meet her and her advanced hearing let her predict the precise second he'd arrive. She ran over the lines in her head one last time and settled down; she had to make this look realistic.

_Of all the nerve_…Knuckles was not a happy Mobian as he stalked down the passageway, his path lit by the radiance of the jewel he would have sacrificed his life to protect. The note was in a scrunched up ball in his left fist; he'd recognised the handwriting as belonging to Rouge and the message was typically her style: _Hey Knucklehead, just admiring the jewel I'll soon own. Come in and chat. Rouge XXX_. Though he put on a definite front of anger, and it was at least partially a true reflection on his feelings, he was a little relieved to see her. It had been about a week and a half since they'd last seen each other and even then it was just for minutes as she'd had to dash off almost as soon as she'd arrived. The guardian gave an ironic smile; things just hadn't been the same between them since the events of four months ago and the actions of a vampire bat called Seraph. However, there was a line Rouge should know how to toe and unless she had an impeccable explanation, she'd just crossed it. Advancing into the glow of the central shrine, Knuckles saw her and folded his arms,

"What are you doing here batgirl?"

_Perfect, now just remember the plan and go for it_. Rouge brought her knees up and waved at the guardian, apparently unconcerned that he was looking like thunder.

"Just admiring my baby", she reached forwards to the Master Emerald, just enough to rile the echidna up.

"Touch that and…"

"Psyche", she turned back to Knuckles and smirked, "every time Knucklehead; I know not to touch the emerald when you're around or you'll throw a hissy fit; give me some credit at least. Anyway, I'm not here for the emerald", Rouge's face suddenly fell and she looked at the floor, voice soft and sincere, "I swear on my mother's name". The echidna nodded and slowly walked towards her.

"I believe you". This was one of the things that had changed as a result of Seraph's intervention, culminating in the dethroning of Eggman and his subsequent imprisonment.

Though it had been four months since the celebrations from that little escapade had died down, the results of them were still echoing throughout the lives of several Mobians. For a start, Knuckles and Rouge had been driven closer together as it had emerged the bat was being hunted by Seraph for some unknown plot and had sought refuge on Angel Island. Despite the best efforts of Knuckles and his friends she'd been taken and, following a frenetic chase that resulted in Eggman's capture and Seraph being cleared of crimes he'd been accused of, the spy had been rescued. Following the trial of Eggman, Knuckles had been receiving her more often as a visitor and, though at first he'd been reluctant to accept she wasn't after the Master Emerald, he had gradually been able to trust her more. For two months things had been fairly formal until one night after Rouge had arrived in a helicopter, thrown the guardian a gun and challenged Knuckles to a paintball duel. The two had spent the better part of five hours hunting each other through the foliage of Angel Island before heading to a nearby stream to clean up. At that point, Knuckles had remembered what to him had seemed a trivial detail from the past:

_"Rouge?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Remember when you and Nack were explaining things about the guild; you said you were only twelve when you joined up. How come you were so young?" Looking over from the side of the stream, where he was trying to get white paint out of his fur he saw the bat's body language suddenly slump. Concerned, he moved over to her,_

_"Something wrong?" She'd turned to face him and the pain he could see made Knuckles realise this was not a joke._

_"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked…"_

_"No, it's not your fault", she had smiled sadly, "Knuckles, can you keep a secret; I know about the Nack example, but this really is private – if I tell you, you have to swear not to tell the others". He had made his decision in an instant._

_"Whatever you say next will never be repeated by me – I swear by my oath to the Master". That had been enough; for the next hour she had recited that, at the age of eight, her mother had been killed in a road accident and as she had never known her father, she had been forced into an orphanage. She had hated every second of it, so had decided to leave,_

_"When I was eleven, I ran away; I couldn't take it any more but, as you can imagine, money was tight. So I did my break in job and the guild found me", she smiled as the guardian sat in stunned silence, "you were right earlier, you know". Knuckles had realised what she meant and smiled back,_

_"If you hadn't met the guild right?"_

_"You got it", she had reached over and held his large hand, "thanks Knucks, just for being here and listening – I know you had a tough time as a kid as well"._

_"Compared to what you went through, I'd say I had it easy", he took strength from her example and spoke about his own past, or what he remembered of it; he had been alone for as long as he could remember. Somehow, sharing the past made it feel less painful._

Knuckles remembered that night well and from it he realised the sincerity behind that promise – he knew Rouge had thought very highly of her mother and wouldn't despoil her memory by going back on that promise. The echidna walked over casually and sat down next to her, looked more exasperated than angry now.

"Okay, you're not after the emerald, so why did you set up camp here?" The bat sighed as though explaining something to a dull-witted pupil.

"Because, my dear guardian, it is very early in the morning and I realised you had not yet woken up. I also knew the first thing you'd do when you did wake up was come here, so I waited for up to turn up". _She is not getting away with that!_

"Yeah, it is early isn't it", the guardian was mildly curious and itching for revenge for the spy's patronising tone, "you're not normally a morning person; you that desperate to see me?" She looked incredulous as he mentally put them back on level pegging.

"Don't flatter yourself; this is part of my job training", she stood up and suddenly gave an 'official' aura, "a spy should be ready to move out and respond to any situation at any time – I'm working on the early start problem". _That should stick – he won't be suspicious._

"Fair enough", that sounded reasonable enough to the guardian, though Knuckles was still trying to make certain things add up in his mind, "but why come here?" To his surprise, Rouge gave a short laugh and offered her hand down to him,

"Part two of my master plan; a spy should be ready to defend themselves at any time and under any circumstances. The gym at the office is not up to requirement any more so I want to train with you".

_Wow, she came all this way to do that – something doesn't add up but, she did swear…hmm_; Knuckles' mind was in overdrive as he though about what to say next, though he accepted the bat's help in pulling him to his feet. However, training with her would be useful for them both; it was a two way street and could help him in the future, and he'd get to spend time with her, if only for a little while.

"Okay, let's get outside of here first", he decided to give a little barb first and smiled cruelly, "I didn't think you'd go for the emerald now though, remembering the last time…" he tailed off, giving his own smirk as she glared up at him, mouth the thinnest of thin lines.

"Shut…up"; she didn't need reminding of that – it had been a fortnight ago she'd snuck onto the island and even got into the shrine itself before the guardian had arrived to spoil the party like he always did. They'd fought for a bit, though there wasn't any real venom behind the blows as, deep down, neither wanted to hurt the other, before Rouge had decided to call it a day and retreat. She'd run like hell into Mushroom Grove, Knuckles on her tail the whole time, until there'd been a sudden twang and the world had turned upside-down with Knuckles laughing in the background. The echidna had caught her in a damn snare trap and she was being suspended from a tall mushroom by her foot. Knuckles had had a field day; he'd started the snare spinning, taken a photo on his phone and mocked her mercilessly for falling into the obvious trap. The worst bit, however, had been setting her free; the guardian had vanished for a few minutes, leaving Rouge to rave and fume impotently until she heard him come back with a strange sloshing sound. Slowly revolving to face him, she felt her heart stop as she saw the barrels of water he was rolling her way.

"Don't even think about it" she threatened, waving a fist while trying to keep his square in her vision; the echidna had acted hurt even though she could see the evil glint in his eye.

"Why Rouge, I'm offended", she had been confused by this, especially when he had kicked one of the barrels over and the water had seeped into the ground, "all I'm doing is letting you go". She had watched as he had begun to climb the trunk of second fungus; why was he letting her go now? It hadn't been until she had glanced down that she had realised and by then it was too late; ignoring her last plea of 'don't you dare', Knuckles had pushed off and glided towards the rope holding her upwards, slicing it clean through with his knuckle barbs. Rouge had tumbled down and landed with a squelch; the water from the barrel had mixed the dirt path to mud and he'd dropped her right in the middle of it. As she pushed herself up from the mud-angel she'd made, she fixed her eyes on Knuckles' form with murderous intent.

"Give me one good reason…"

"Because I brought two barrels". As she snarled and began to clean up, he had disappeared with a final, unbearable insult,

"You should thank me; I heard mud-packs are all the rage these days". Before she could get to him he had vanished from sight, leaving her steaming and unable to do anything about it. _Until now – I'll teach you the sacrifices women make for fashion, Knuckles Echidna._

_She's up to something; she'll probably want revenge after the snare trick, so keep your guard up._ Knuckles was ahead of Rouge so was able to smile secretly; that had been a bit rotten of him, but hell, she wanted to steal his emerald she lived with the consequences. At the shrine entrance he turned around and began doing a series of stretching exercises designed to warm the muscles up and prevent injury from strain. Rouge did her own exercises for a couple of minutes, loosening off her lethal legs before her opponent finished, turned, grinned and put his guard up.

"Okay, that'll do".

"Umm, Knuckles", she pointed at his phone pouch, "shouldn't you take that off first?" He glanced down and did a double-take as he realised she was right.

"Oh, yeah; I keep forgetting about that". _Here it comes…_

"Well, I guess the whole technology thing's new to you; just a few years ago you probably thought bashing rocks together was a good idea". _…Right on cue_; the echidna growled as he casually unbuckled the phone holder and threw it to one side, the action mirrored as Rouge unbuckled the belt bag she wore and put it carefully aside, peeking in when he wasn't looking to make sure all was as it should be.

"I hope you're ready to eat those words".

"I seem to remember your apatite for boot leather; let's do this". With a cry that rattled off the trees, both the treasure hunters charged.

In a fight, to those of you who have never found yourselves in the unfortunate position of being involved in one, it's mostly a matter of instinct. There isn't time for the brain to actively deduce what each limb is doing, calculate the correct move to do next and concentrate on the opponents attacks at the same time. It's all down to speed, reflexes and gut intuition; training just helps to hone these qualities. Both Rouge and her opponent were extremely well trained, so in their battles another factor came into play – luck. A single slip, a second's lapse of concentration due to some outside force, could have settled the match. Rouge exposed her fangs as the bout wore on; Knuckles knew what he was doing both from long experience and personal knowledge of her fighting style and she couldn't help but credit him for that. A smart fighter could learn from their opponents and adjust their style accordingly; when fighting with her Knuckles kept his guard a little lower than he would normally; it was hard for her to reach his head with a kick, so most of her blows went to the body. Her kicks came thick and fast but the echidna could soak up an ungodly amount of punishment and it would only take one of his counterpunches to connect solidly for this to end. For her part, she kept on her toes; the punches Knuckles was famous for throwing took longer to deliver than her snapping kicks, so she had a little longer to dodge the powerful attacks. They also had less reach; by keeping back from him, she forced him to come to her and weather a blizzard of strikes before getting into position to counterattack. Both were beginning to breathe more heavily when Knuckles suddenly slipped, going down on one knee; just the bit of luck she needed.

Without consciously thinking about what she was doing Rouge lashed out, her foot aiming to hit solidly with the side of her opponents head and send him sprawling. What she didn't expect was for him to twist his entire body round, avoiding the kick and at the same time using his own leg as a weapon. Rouge felt an impact on her standing leg and it buckled under her, dropping her into an unbalanced crouch. Before she could right herself Knuckles was onto her; springing forwards from his own crouch he barrelled into her, sending them both to the dirt where due to his greater strength and endurance, he held a crucial advantage. Once down, Rouge couldn't kick and the bout was as good as over; Knuckles grabbed one of her legs and applied a figure four lock to it, increasing the pressure on the ankle painfully but not dangerously – too strong and he'd break the joint. Rouge resisted for as long as was safe and then tapped out, her free hand sounding the submission. As etiquette demanded, the echidna released the hold and stepped back and away from her, letting her come to her feet in her own time. Grateful for the rest, despite the fact it had come from her defeat, Rouge pushed herself up slowly, breathing in slowly to hyperventilate her blood for round two.

"When did you learn to sweep?" she asked crossly, surprised at the unusual tactic from the guardian – as far as she could remember he'd never used his legs in any of their battles. That didn't give her an excuse not to expect it though. Knuckles let a small smile emerge on his fighting face.

"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you?"

"What kind of answer is that?"

"The truth". He honestly didn't think the bat would be able to guess in a month of Sundays. Rouge dusted herself off and put hands on hips,

"Go on then; shock me".

"Seraph".

_Gotta give him that one – never entered my mind_; Rouge stared wide-eyed as Knuckles nodded at her disbelief, mind wandering back as he remembered the circumstances under which the sweep technique had been demonstrated to him in a most painful manner.

"Happened in the first fight; I overbalanced and he swept me", Knuckles explained as Rouge mulled the story over in her mind; Knuckles wasn't known to lie and even if he did, she betted she'd have been able to see through it, "followed it up too".

"Let me guess; axe?"

"Got it in one", Knuckles rubbed his stomach at the memory, "that's how he winded me; caught me low in the gut".

"You were lucky it wasn't the solar plexus", Rouge commented, picturing the attack in her mind, "that might have put you under".

"Yeah, but I slipped then and thought I'd try and surprise you".

"You got lucky", she assured him, taking up her fighting stance with a determined look, "it won't happen again".

"I believe that", Knuckles brought up his guard again, meeting eyes with the bat as he tried to gauge her tactics, "now!" Round two started.

As the training fight on Angel Island began to wind down in tempo, back in Station Square Sonic pricked his ears and said simply,

"Car". Stopping his conversation with the other two hedgehogs on the topic of whether track was better than field t5he blue hedgehog headed for the front door. He opened it and stepped back with a friendly smile on his face as something squeaked and fluttered towards him.

"Cheese, Chocola, come back", Sonic looked up as the chao, hearing their names mentioned, stopped and turned in midair and headed back to the small rabbit that had spoken. Cream plucked her pets out of the air and smiled up at the blue hedgehog, her soft brown eyes radiating the joy and happiness that only a child could truly believe. Sonic caught himself for a second; it was the same fire that burned within his younger brother.

"Hello Mr Sonic". Started by the rabbit's voice the hedgehog looked down at her with an expression of tolerant amusement.

"Cream…" She closed her eyes and put a paw on her face,

"Sorry, Sonic". The hedgehog laughed, moving forwards to help Vanilla with the young rabbit's bag as Amy and Shadow appeared in the doorway, Amy waving at her team-mate.

"Hey Vanilla, let me take that".

"Thanks Sonic", the elder rabbit took a breath as she let the heavy bag slide into the hedgehog's arms, "how have you been?"

"Walking on air since Eggy went down for good". The orange rabbit echoed the hero's smile, glancing at her daughter as she hugged Shadow.

"Tell me about it; Cream was bouncing all over the place when Amy told her and I don't even want to think about what happened with Cheese and Chocola".

"What…?"

"Ever seen a pair of wrecking balls go haywire?" Sonic winced as Vanilla grimaced, remembering the devastation that had resulted when Cream and her two chao had gotten the ecstatic news; she didn't mention she had been as excited as her daughter but then again Sonic didn't really need to know that.

"So how long are you going to be gone?"

"About five days", the blue hedgehog understood Vanilla's concerns; the first she'd heard about the Metal Overlord saga was when Cream's face had appeared on national television and understandably, it had come as a bit of a shock to learn that her little girl was now a hero, "We'll all look after her; nothing's going to happen and even if it does, I've got your number".

"Is it that obvious?"

"Cream's lucky she's got a mum who cares. I can see it because I've got Tails remember?"

"Ah yes, I keep forgetting you two are family, which reminds me", bearing in mind rabbits aren't carnivorous it was remarkable how fierce Vanilla could look when she wanted to, "Cream's been telling me some very compelling stories about you lot teasing Tails – care to comment?" Sonic gave a cheesy grin as his eyes flicked for an exit point,

"Kids these days, you know how active their imagination can be?"

"Don't I just", _she's seen through that like a bullet through tissue paper_; the rabbit gave a piercing glare before spinning to her child, "Cream, come give me a hug before I go". The young rabbit flew down the path into her mother's arms, planting a kiss on Vanilla's cheek as the pair of chao circled in the air above.

"I'll miss you mum".

"And I'll miss you too", Vanilla stood upright as Cream called her two pets, giving each a squeeze before Vanilla swept them both from the sky; Cream had decided not to take them on this trip just in case they got lost or in the way of work – after the events of the Metal Overlord she couldn't bear to have lost even one of them again. The rabbit made to get into her car, calling to the others,

"Take good care all of you; see you in a few days Cream". Vanilla buckled herself in and started the car up, waving out of the window as Cheese and Chocola appeared at the car window and squeaked. Cream waved back, smiling winningly as her mother pulled away, the two chao still waving their podgy arms from the back window. When the car was out of sight, Cream addressed the three hedgehogs,

"Okay, let's go to the ruins". Amy hefted the carry bag Vanilla had left with them and rubbed the rabbit's long ears.

"Wait a second Cream we all need to get ready first; there loads of time, no need to rush". Shadow leaned forwards, speaking in a very loud whisper to Sonic,

"She just wants to see Tails you know?"

"Yeah, those two are like peas in a pod". Cream straightened and charged at the pair, her ears streaming out behind her as she scolded,

"Don't say things like that", she smiled evilly as Sonic didn't try to stop her and she crashed into him, bending down and going for his legs, "I know your weakness!"

"Not the knees!" Sonic shrieked as he felt a pair of small hands go for his worst spot; he bent down and lifted Cream into the air by her arms; the rabbit had a frightened look on her face as Sonic pretended to be angry.

"Right, that's it", he shifted his hold until he had hold of her by a single hand with the other supporting her bodyweight. The rabbit squealed,

"No Sonic, don't do it!"

"For the crime of attempting to torture me…"

"I'm sorry!"

"…and calling me Mr Sonic…"

"Save me! Save me!"

"…there's only one punishment – Sonic slam!" The blue hedgehog lifted her high into the air and slowly lowered her to the floor at a ninety degree angle, the rabbit screaming all the way down. She felt the ground gently bump her back and faked being mortally injured by the impact as Sonic stood triumphant. He would have given a victory speech had he not been jumped from behind by Shadow, the black hedgehog shouting,

"Cream, I'll hold him, you punch". The orange ball of cuteness leapt to her feet and leapt into the melee feet first, almost winding Sonic as she landed squarely on his belly. He fought to stand up as Shadow grappled him and Cream gently tapped the side of his face, giving the count as he rocked from the impacts as though hit with torpedoes,

"One, two, three, four…" Amy watched the three of them wrestle and her shoulders shook as she tried not to laugh; the two hedgehogs were giving a theatrical performance and Cream was joining in with a will; she jumped at Shadow and tried to tackle him to the floor as he reached down for her.

"You're all kids" the rose hedgehog declared before leaving them to it; she went inside and prepared the drinks for when the play-fight concluded.

"Time". Knuckles hopped back out of range of Rouge's kicks, landing with hands on knees and breathing heavily. The bat went to one knee, looking at her sparring partner with respect; neither of them held back when sparring and it was only due to their respective skills in martial arts that neither had been seriously hurt.

"That was, fun", Rouge heaved in oxygen as she mentally ran a checklist of what she needed to do next; by wearing him down in training maybe his mind wouldn't be quite so sharp, "we should do that again some time". She dropped her head, missing the impact her words had on the echidna; he flashed a glance, a single glance, which held within it his innermost desire and his innermost fear at the Mobian at the centre of both. He shook his head as he returned to re-oxygenating his body, moving slowly into a secondary routine of stretches that would prevent his body cramping up painfully. Rouge did likewise, though her routine was a little more flamboyant than the echidnas', culminating in a full stretch horizontal split. It was towards the end of this that a low growl pervaded the air and Knuckles winced a little; he hadn't yet had breakfast.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asked his sparring partner; while his back was turned Rouge moved towards her bag and crossed her fingers, calling silently on fortune to help her plan succeed.

"Yeah, I ate before I came", facing him, she casually held a water bottle in her hand and acted like she'd taken a swig from it, "fancy a drink?"

"Yeah, thanks". Knuckles extended his hand as he stretched the side of his body close to her; she smirked as she threw the bottle towards his lent over form and he caught it effortlessly one handed,

"Show-off"; _keep him talking, just a mouthful and you're mine boy!_ Knuckles gawped at her as he popped the top off the bottle.

"You can talk about showing off", he raised the bottle and took a squirt of the water it contained; Rouge was barely able to conceal her delight as he choked it down, grimacing at the bitter lemon aftertaste, "what is this, lemon juice?"

"Not quite"; there was a sudden edge in Rouge's voice that sent alarm bells ringing; he spun to face her, bottle dropping from his hand as he moved into battle readiness, or would have if the scenery would stop moving.

"What did you do, to, me" his words were slurred but the anger behind them was unmistakeable; he'd been betrayed by her, again. His arms felt like tree trunks but he lifted them anyway, stumbling towards his enemy as she wiggled her fingers at him. Her mocking face and the words,

"Night, night Knucklehead" were the last things he remembered hearing.

The sleeping powder she'd put into the water had done its job well; it went in and knocked you out for about an hour, then stopped with a minimum if side effects. Knuckles was swaying like a drunk after a heavy night on the tiles as he advanced; by the time he collapsed into her he was already snoring away merrily. Rouge set him down as she recovered her fallen bag and, as an afterthought, Knuckles' phone, though she switched it off before adding it to her possessions. Phase one was complete, the rest should be easy if she moved fast; he hadn't taken much of the drug so it would wear off fairly soon and she wanted him secure by then. As she gathered the fallen guardian in her arms and remembered the direction she needed to go, the thought of _looks like Seraph taught both of us something_ made the spy laugh out loud.

Sonic took a last slurp of the orange juice Amy had provided to the playmates as they finished their wrestling match, Cream having been crowned the victor. Sonic and Shadow had been fighting each other so hard they'd almost forgotten the rabbit until she'd caught them both with a double crab and forced them to tap out. As a reward Cream had been given ice in her juice, something both hedgehogs were looking mutinous about.

"We should get ice too", Shadow whined, looking at his nearly gone drink as though wishing for ice to magically appear, "we fought hard; it's not my fault the faker distracted me".

"Yeah, what he said" the blue hedgehog added, glaring at his black counterpart as Shadow looked at Amy with pleading eyes. Unfortunately the pink hedgehog remained resolute; wagging a finger at the pair of them she began,

"No way; Cream won that one so she gets ice. Besides there's none left now". As she spoke she wasn't aware of movement behind her, or the fact the two hedgehogs were distracting her, until it was too late. Grinning, Cream pulled the back of her dress collar and yelled,

"Bombs away", dropping the dripping ice cube down the back of Amy's red dress.

"Yeeeeccckkk"; Amy went from 0-60 in seconds, leaping out of her chair and prancing about like a lunatic until the ice cube fell loose. Cream and the others watched as she continued her mad dance, offering casual criticism,

"What style do you think it is; break dance?"

"I think it's river dancing". Cream herself giggled as she offered her own advice,

"Well it's certainly not ballet, but", she finished as the rose hedgehog stopped hopping like a frog on a hot plate and advanced in her direction, "this performance is over". Cream took to the air, leaping back out the way just before Amy could reach her.

"You little traitor", Amy pulled out her hammer and brandished it fearsomely, "come down here and let me show you my war dance". Her squad mate simply flew up higher, away from the source of danger as she stuck her tongue out,

"Na, I think I'm safe up here and I was only being nice", Cream hovered overhead, just out of range of Amy's swings, "you gave me some ice so I returned the favour". Sonic and Shadow chuckled while Amy steamed and thrust the hammer away, scowling.

"Just you wait until I get hold of you", she turned around and faced the other two hedgehogs; both immediately stopped their sniggering under her stern eye, "right you two, lock up and pack up; we've got to get to her boyfriend's place".

"That was cheap Ames", Cream looked a little aggrieved as she touched back down; she never even suspected what was going on as Amy span and pounced,

"True, but it got you where I want you", the rabbit squealed as Amy knocked her off her feet, "be with you in a sec guys; I'm gonna tie your ears in a knot you little trickster".

"Help", Cream tried to fight off the hedgehog she'd come to think of as an older sister, smiling all the while as she knew Amy would never even entertain the possibility of doing anything she threatened, "mercy; it was Sonic and Shadow, they tricked me, stop!"

"You little liar; those two would never do anything like that; they're not that dumb".

"Ain't that the truth", Shadow whispered to Sonic, "reckon we should stop this?" The blue hedgehog grinned ghoulishly as Amy pinned Cream and forced the rabbit to start apologising.

"Nah, just pack up and get ready".

"You coward".

"Better to live a coward than die a fool".

"Touché".

A few minutes later the two super speed hedgehogs held a rucksack over each shoulder and decided the best way to approach things was for them to run the luggage to Tails, then run back and grab the girls.

"Nice plan".

"One of my best" Shadow admitted as Sonic snorted and turned away, not wanting to spoil his glory by revealing he'd actually come up with the basic idea and Shadow had simply refined it. Tightening his bags the blue hedgehog nodded and took his mark.

"See you there slowpoke"

"Get ready to eat my dust faker".

"Go", Cream shouted, putting her hands over her eyes as the duo sped away, throwing up a mighty cloud of dust as they disappeared down the road in a super speed race. When the grit and debris had settled she turned to Amy; the pink hedgehog straightened her dress before sitting down on the grass.

"No point getting comfortable, they'll be back any minute".

"No they won't, they'll be about ten minutes", as the rabbit looked at Amy askew, she explained her theory, "two minutes each way due to traffic, plus five minutes boasting and daring at each end combined; we've got some time". Cream totted the total up in her head before shrugging and looking at her watch as she sat next to her friend.

"Bet you a window seat on the Tornado you're a minute out either way".

"You're on"; the Mobians shook on the bet and kept a close eye on the rabbit's watch, waiting intently for the as the time ticked away.

Another person with her eye on the time was Rouge; she was flying over Angel Island with Knuckles still asleep in her arms. She was beginning to pant for air as the fight exhausted her; she had carried Shadow and Omega before now, but not like this; because Knuckles was asleep he couldn't grip her arms so she was having to cradle the echidna to prevent him slipping from her grasp. Holding a weight as heavy as that in an uncomfortable position like this was murder on her arms and shoulders, never mind her poor wings, but she was close now; she recognised the landmarks as correct and put on a burst of speed, drowning out the ache in her body with the knowledge that she was nearly done and soon Knuckles would regret ever putting that snare in Mushroom Grove.

"NOOOO", Cream hid her face with her hands as the two returned hedgehogs pulled up next to the front door; as always it had been a dead heat, "only fifteen seconds left on the ticker".

"Oh dear, looks like I'll be the one with the view then", Amy posed victoriously and answered the pair before they'd even asked, "we had a bet you'd be gone ten minutes – ten forty-five was good enough for me".

"Right", the male Mobians swapped a probably-safer-not-to-ask look before Shadow continued, "well, hop on and we'll ditch this joint". Cream slid onto black hedgehog's back in a piggy-back with a gleeful shout of joy; she loved running with either Shadow or Sonic because of the way the wind whipped her ears backwards; it made it look like a pair of banners had been attached to her head but felt like she was travelling in a racing car with the roof removed. That, of course, was not true – the car hadn't yet been made that could match either of the hedgehogs for speed. At Amy's shout, both took off and the rabbit shut her eyes against the G-force, hugging herself in tight to Shadow's back to lessen wind resistance; she knew the black hedgehog took his races with Sonic very seriously indeed and she had to do everything in her power to help him win.

Tails revved the Tornado in its jeep mode, the fox expertly working the controls to pull out of the garage of his workshop, the vehicle he had built with his own two hands growling like a tame tiger as it responded to his deft steering. When he was clear, he hit a button on the dashboard that locked the garage door behind him and, after double-checking he had enough room for safety, he took a deep breath and hit a second button, this one green and marked with a small, black airplane design. The reaction was instantaneous; the jeep began to ripple and morph under him, the movements and assorted sounds from under the foxboy genius's seat as familiar as the back of his hand. Slowly the Tornado re-emerged into its plane mode and Tails popped open the cockpit, expertly scrambling down the side of the aircraft as he headed for the ground, his twin tails providing an emergency parachute should he slip. _Just load the bags on and get ready; they should be here soon_; the kit hefted the twin black and steel blue bags he recognised as belonging to his brother and his flat mate and headed up the narrow boarding ramp, the pair of rucksacks hindering his progress a little but not stopping it outright. Quickly securing the two smaller bags in one of the seats, Tails descended again and seized the pink bag that must have belonged to Amy; the designs of a pair of roses on the bag flap a definite giveaway. Tails tugged on the bag and gave a slight yip at the sudden pain in his shoulders; that must have weighed a tonne. _Think I'll leave that one_; he turned to the last bag and timidly prodded it; ah good, this one didn't seem to be super-glued to the deck. As he slipped it over his shoulders Tails gave a slight smile – this was Cream's bag and had been packed by Vanilla; he could smell the mingled scents of both rabbits with his keen nose. Just as he disappeared into the passenger area of the jet mode, twin plumes of dust were seen on the horizon as the most recent race between Sonic and Shadow approached a conclusion.

"I won".

"Yeah, if you thought we were running a slow race", Shadow grinned at Sonic as Cream hopped down to the floor, "face it faker; you got beat".

"Only in the denial stakes; you just can't bear to admit I'm fastest".

"That's because I can't lie with a straight face".

"Yes you can, you just said you won". Amy decided to end this repetitive argument before it could truly get off the ground; something they wouldn't do if the two hedgehogs didn't stop quibbling about who was the fasting thing alive.

"It was neck-and-neck, a complete tie, wasn't it Cream?" Though tempted to say Shadow was the victor, the rabbit was smart enough to realise this could go on all day if they didn't nip it in the bud.

"Oh yes; a dead heat all the way". Shadow looked at her wounded as though he'd been counting on her support to finally chalk up a win on his friend and rival; she kept her face neutral and innocent through ease of long practice until the black hedgehog shook his head and sighed,

"Okay, no-one won then, but just wait until we're on Angel Island; I'll show you the meaning of speed Sonic". Luckily Tails appeared in the frame of the Tornado's passenger compartment and waved, stopping Sonic from launching a witty comeback and starting the whole cycle again.

"Hey guys, climb aboard", the pilot descended the plane stairs to greet his future passengers, "I've packed everything bar your rucksack Amy, sorry but I couldn't lift it" he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in an embarrassed fashion as the pink hedgehog casually swung her luggage up and over one shoulder.

"Don't worry Tails, I must have over-packed it last night; Sonic said it was heavy as well", she headed towards the Tornado and smiled over her shoulder at Cream, "I'll just relax by my window seat and enjoy the view".

"That's a coincidence, so will I", the rabbit replied; _she's going to hate me in a minute, oh well._ Amy put her hands on her hips,

"No way Cream, you lost the bet so you face the consequences".

"I fully intend to", the rabbit played her ace, "I'm bound not to sit in a window seat in the passenger compartment; but I never said I'd be travelling in the passenger compartment did I?" Amy felt her mouth fall open – _of all the low down tricks…_

"So where are you going to be sitting then, the roof?"

"No silly", Cream turned to Sonic as she missed Tails' look of horror and resignation, answering the hedgehog as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I'm in the cockpit; I'm the co-pilot".

_They are never going to let me live this down_; Tails felt the skin of his muzzle begin to heat up as three curious glances flicked his way, each containing a hefty dose of mild indignation and cheek.

"Oh really", Shadow set the ball rolling, "I didn't know you'd been giving her flying lessons Tails". The fox tried to squirm clear, knowing it was probably a wasted effort but going for it just on the off-chance.

"Well, it makes sense; what happens if I suddenly keel over at the flight stick?"

"Cream could give you mouth-to-mouth?"

"No!" Tails felt his face flame at this suggestion from Sonic, cursing himself for getting caught out like that, "she can take over the controls and steer you to safety". _I hate you all; I'm installing elevator music in the passenger seating_ – that and hundred other dire thoughts swirled round Tails' head as he watched the three hedgehogs stifle laughter at his predicament. He knew Sonic had yet to forgive him fully after publicly ridiculing him by revealing his middle name but this was a cheap way of getting revenge.

"Just get aboard you 'orrible shower", the fox ordered the three, trying to sound official and imposing, "strap yourselves in and get ready to go, I've just got to lock up". The fox secured his property as the three hedgehogs complied with his orders, Sonic especially having trouble not sniggering. Cream shook her head at Tails' odd behaviour; she and the others made fun of Sonic and Amy's 'relationship'; this was just the three older teens having a joke about nothing, wasn't it? Still, that was a low shot by Sonic and she had just the thing to cheer the down-in-the-dumps fox up.

"Pay no attention to them Tails".

"I would if I could; Sonic's only trying to get even after the Maurice incident". Cream masked a smile and then grinned,

"Well, don't worry; you know what they say; he who laughs last laughs loudest", she leaned forwards conspiringly, "let's show them how much I've learned". Tails licked his lips, then nodded and returned the rabbit's mischievous grin.

_Made it_; Rouge saw the familiar squat shape of Knuckles' cabin in the distance, the blocky wooden construction providing a welcome sight for her tired and aching body. Her predicament wasn't helped by the fact that Knuckles was unconsciously moving in his sleep, threatening to fall out her arms onto the hard ground below. This increased risk of slipping forced the bat to fly slower and lower to the ground, a fact her arms and wings were giving her severe grief about as she struggled home. As she landed at the back of the cabin she let out a low groan of relief, tucking her pounding wings away and setting the comatose guardian down to stretch her cramping arms. This pause was only momentary, however, as Rouge was aware that Knuckles was beginning to show signs of throwing the effects of the drug off, kicking and moaning more violently as he began to recover consciousness. Swiftly throwing him over one shoulder, Rouge sprinted into the building itself, reaching into her bag for the things she needed next, a wicked smile on her lips as she realised soon she'd make the guardian rue the day he'd set traps for her.

"Hello, this is your captain speaking", the small voice spoke through the Tornado's intercom, "I'd like to remind all passengers to buckle up and hold tight, just in case". All three passengers looked up in mingled shock and alarm before Shadow asked the awkward question that just begged to be asked.

"Err, Cream, isn't Tails supposed to be flying?"

"Nah, he said I've pretty much got the basics covered so this is going to be my first real flight. Wish me luck". The Tornado's engine powered up and all three hedgehogs rapidly buckled in, fear and apprehension etched in every face.

"Tails, are you sure this is a good idea?" There was a second before the fox answered through the system,

"Oh yeah, trust me, she's a natural; no, pull the stick back to take off!"

"Sorry, I forgot; down to go to the ground". The transforming vehicle began to leave the ground with three hedgehogs praying that Cream's first flight wouldn't prove to be their last.

There was something soft underneath him and he couldn't feel any hint of a breeze; where was he? He was probably indoors, but he hadn't slept in his cabin last night; he never did unless it looked like it would rain during the night. Knuckles blinked his eyes open as he tried to rub an itch on his nose only to find he couldn't move his arms, they were being held in place. Leaning his head upwards, the echidna realised there was a very good reason why he couldn't move his arms, or his legs for that matter; all his limbs had been tied to one of his bedposts with thick, soft cord. He'd been…Rouge! The echidna snarled as fury stoked the furnace of his heart; all this time, all that talk and she'd just turned around and plunged a dagger in his back. He threw himself against his restraints, trying to free himself as his imagination pictured the spy making off with the Master Emerald, his slip causing the island to start plunging into the ocean, if it wasn't already there. Reining his anger in, the echidna breathed steadily for a few minutes, trying to use his innate connection to the emerald to see if it had been touched since he'd been under. The relief that poured out of him as he realised the power at the centre of Angel Island stood there still and was safe, for the moment at least, was very nearly tangible; he hadn't been punished for his mistake, at least not yet.

Quickly testing his bonds, the guardian snarled as he realised he wasn't going anywhere fast; Rouge had done a professional job on this. Settling down for a second, the logical, ration part of Knuckles' mind was already pointing out something wasn't right here. As far as he could remember, they'd been sparring outside the shrine itself, he'd taken a sip of the drink she'd offered, then he must have gone under; the lemony taste of the water must have been some kind of sleeping draught. Right, that explained how he'd been tricked but, if the spy had been after the Master, why bring him here? It was a fair step from the shrine to his home, even in the air; surely she would have tied him at the shrine and left him there. _She also promised she wasn't after it as well, she wouldn't go back on a swear like that_; though he'd be the first to say the bat wasn't honest, the echidna couldn't believe Rouge would go back on her word like that. What was…as he heard a creak by the foot of his bed and looked up, he realised he'd soon get answers if he wanted them or not.

_Please Lord, let me survive this trip and I'll never ask for anything again as long as I live_. To say Sonic Hedgehog was a little nervous would be the world's greatest understatement; they'd been in the air less than ten minutes and already they'd hit turbulence that should have belonged in a hurricane, Cream accidentally cutting off power to the engines and sending them into a downwards spin and a running commentary from the front seats that sounded like Tails was having to perform a modern-day miracle just to keep them in the air.

"Okay Cream, that's it", the fox sounded at least slightly calmer now, breathing as though he'd just run a marathon, "we're now on course for Angel Island; just keep the plane on the straight and narrow and we'll be there in about thirty minutes".

"Thank you", Sonic heard a voice say quietly; it took him a few minutes to realise it was his own, and even longer to prise his grip off the armrest on his seat. Glancing along the blue hedgehog felt slightly mollified as he realised he wasn't the only one going through this nerve-jangling hell. Shadow, who was sat opposite and slightly to the side of him, was slumped in his seat, breathing rhythmically with his eyes tightly shut and Amy was gripping onto her seat belt as though trying to throttle it. Swallowing nervously, the blue hedgehog dared to query,

"Do you think that's the worst of it?"

_Not by a long shot buster_; Tails grinned as he planned the next move, his hands on the controls of his machine as Cream sat in the co-pilot seat, shaking with laughter as she realised how big an effect this was having on the hedgehogs in the back. Tails noticed the look on the rabbit's face and breathed out the corner of his mouth,

"Don't laugh; you'll give the game away". Cream clapped her hands over her mouth as she fought the giggles down; this plan was going perfectly and then some. Tails suddenly straightened in his seat and from the look on his face she could see he was onto something big. Turning to her, the fox mouthed three words that sent a thrill up her spine; she grinned and gave a thumbs-up as the two younger Mobians prepared their nastiest surprise yet.

Just as Shadow began to relax and feel the tension ease from his whipcord taut body, a sudden burst of noise from the front filled him with dread.

"Hey Tails, look what I can do".

"What, no Cream, no tricks", Shadow gripped onto the armrests hard enough to leave an indent in the plastic as the Tornado began to pull up alarmingly. Shouts of alarm from the passengers filled the interior of the Tornado as the machine completed a full loop in the air were answered with an ecstatic cry of,

"Wahey, loop-de-loop!" That was enough for the black hedgehog and his shattered nerves.

"Tails make her stop; for the love of God, take over the controls now". He was backed up voraciously by shouts from his friends; if the fox didn't take over soon they'd all go grey and fall over dead from heart attacks. He expected compliance, he expected a sincere apology and offers of reparations; what he didn't expect was a sudden outburst of laughter from the front seats.

"Gotcha", a pair of victorious voices chimed in through the radios, "that'll teach you to tease us". Amy sprang up as she saw in her mind what the devious pair had been doing; the urge to hammer down the door that adjoined the passenger seating and cockpit was almost irresistible.

"Are you saying you planned all this?"

"Yep", Tails sounded unbearably smug as he spelt out what had happened, "you're all safe; I've been flying the whole time". At first it failed to sink in; Tails and Cream would never, ever play a trick as evil, as cruel, as that, never in a million ears, right? _Wrong!_

"So all that talk about this being your first flight was nonsense?"

"Yep, though I have been taking lessons", the rabbit admitted; perhaps it was for the best that the pilot and co-pilot couldn't see their friend's faces darken and hands clench as though gripping weapons, "though I'll have to tell Mum the acting classes are working wonders; you were all hoodwinked good".

"Oh yeah you got us all", Shadow admitted softly, shrugging his shoulders at the other two as he realised maybe they had been a little harsh in teasing the younger Mobians, "make you a deal; no more flying stunts and we'll stop saying you two are in _luurrrvvveee_!"

"Shadow…"

"Starting now".

"Okay, you got a deal". Tails concentrated on the task of flying as Cream straightened her ears out again; though tricks like loop-de-loops were fun, they always made her ears fall out of place and it was a pain to sort them out again.

"Guess we got them good huh?"

"Yep, that'll teach 'em", Cream offered her hand to the pilot, "put her there". Tails shook with his free hand, smiling all the while,

"Pleasure acting with you Cream".

"And likewise Tails". There was a second of silence before Sonic's voice boomed over the speaker.

"Hey, no canoodling in the front seats". The two dropped their hands and shared a joint shrug; Cream put her hands on her head and Tails wrenched the control stick hard to the right, listening to the sudden shrieks from behind them.

"Barrel roll!"

_He's nervous but hiding it well; probably trying to think what my plan is, well I'm not going to tell you_; Rouge smiled pleasantly as Knuckles growled up at her with bared teeth from his prone position. He had left her to stew in worry and doubt not so long ago in the Mushroom Grove, now she was going to repay the favour and, she admitted privately, enjoy herself at his expense as an added bonus.

"Morning Knucklehead, sleep well?"

"What did you do to me?" Rouge laughed as he tried to shift position to keep her square in his vision at all times.

"Just a mild sleeping tablet, enough to knock you out for about thirty minutes, nothing serious". He put on a sarcastic face and looked upwards as though asking for patience,

"I would argue otherwise", he said caustically, trying to move his immobilised arms as if to underline his point, "what do you want Rouge; you're not after the Master Emerald are you?" It was the tone that made the difference; rather than the angry accusation, this was a more considered question, as though to confirm some private line of thought, something the bat was all too happy to do.

"No, I'm not", she sat down on the bed next to him, smiling wickedly as he regarded her with narrowed eyes, "this is a more, personal matter". _That doesn't sound good – okay, I'm worried_; Knuckles tried to make sense of the bat's words but before he could ask she had carried on talking,

"This is about revenge; when I'm through with you, you'll wish you'd left me hanging around in Mushroom Grove!"

_Uh oh_; Knuckles tried to compile a mental list of what that revenge could entail and barely suppressed a shudder – it really didn't bear thinking about. He was pretty much helpless now and from the wicked gleam in the bat's eyes he reckoned he was officially 'in trouble'. He moved onto delaying tactics,

"Nice move", he commented as though bored, "how long did it take you to think it up?" Rouge raised an eyebrow; she had an idea of what the echidna was up to but decided to play along for now.

"Not too long, though I had to get up really early this morning to make sure I could pull this off", she smiled at her helpless quarry, "you should feel honoured".

"I'm humbled, now let me up, I've got…"

"Not a chance", Rouge hissed, itching to get on with her ultimate plan of delicious, sweet revenge, "I've got all sorts of things planned for you and speaking of which, I reckon we should get started". _Okay, brace for impact_; Knuckle was smart enough to know he'd not talk her out of this so decided on option two.

"Well come on then, spill; what is this great plot of yours then?" Rouge clapped her hands like a child, basking in the warm glow of superiority for as long as possible and drawing out the echidna's torment as much as she could.

"Oh, you're going to love it; in fact you gave me the idea", when he looked suitably confused she carried on, "well when you were kind enough to treat me to a free mud-pack I realised how lucky I was to have a friend like you. Now it'd be churlish of me not to repay the favour so I decided to go for it in full. I reckon you'll look good with bleached dreads".

Knuckles' face fell into a look of pure horror as he imagined…no, that was inhumane; he made to argue only to see a camera flash in front of him.

"No, Rouge, that's cruel"; the image of him gliding with long blond dreadlocks flowing past his head – he shuddered, unwilling to contemplate the idea. The bat replaced the camera and smirked; he was in the palm of her hand and she was going to make him squirm and plead through every minute of this.

"Well, let's get going; we don't have a second to lose".

"Rouge, please no", Knuckles had decided logical argument wasn't going to help him and sacrificed his pride on the altar of hope, however forlorn it may have been, "I beg of you, don't do it, not my dreadlocks".

"Oh don't be such a wimp", Rouge reached for the small bag she'd brought with her and the bottle of peroxide it contained, "you'll love it when I'm done". She'd hung the bag on the other side of the bed to where she was sat; she leant one hand on Knuckles' gut to stretch for it, barely registering the contact. It was only when her hand slipped that she paused in her attempt.

_Oh man, oh man, oh man, I'm doomed_ Knuckles thought in a panic, trying to think of something, anything that might just help him in his current predicament at the same time as ignore the small hand resting on his stomach, _reasoning won't work; she's steamed I caught her in that trap, oh why didn't I just …hey, cut that out_!

Rouge stopped suddenly as her hand moved minutely and the skin it was resting on fluttered in response, her mind weighing something up in a second. Acting like she'd failed to reach her bag, she tried again, this time keeping one eye on the echidna's reaction as she 'slipped' again. _Oh boy, this is getting better and better_; Knuckles squirmed away from the touch and the merest ghost of a smile tugged the corners of his mouth. The bat pushed off of him, a truly evil grin now flourishing on her pretty face as she decided on a different course of revenge.

"Well, well, there's something I never suspected". Knuckles tried to cover up but deep in his lilac eyes, Rouge saw he had an inkling of her discovery and was afraid of it.

"And what would that be batgirl? You had a secret desire to be a hairdresser all along?" The guardian gave a snort of contemptuous laughter; that sealed it for Rouge and the bat drew her arms back as she shouted,

"No, this!" She plunged her hands forwards, tickling the guardian's stomach furiously. Knuckles seized up, writhing at the infuriating touch as a few strangled snorts escaped his lips; he was desperate not to show weakness as he knew once she had a taste for blood there was no hope for him at all. Rouge kept her eyes on the guardian's scrunched up face and the way he was trying desperately to get away from her. _This is childish, but then again so was he; payback's hell Knucklehead_. She carried on the attack, scurrying her fingers across his belly as he threw his face to the side, not wanting her to see just how hard he was having to fight not to crack under the strain.

"You know what they say Knucklehead; hell hath no fury". The echidna couldn't answer back for fear of breaking down into helpless hysterics; Rouge had found a secret about him even he hadn't been fully aware of and, typical batgirl, was exploiting it to the max. Just as Knuckles felt his lungs were about to explode inside him she relented, stopping the torture before he burst a blood vessel and allowing him to take a deep breath, mind temporarily scrambled by the unforeseen torture as he tried to restock the situation. In the few second's grace he had, he managed to deduce only one simple statement; _Maybe the dyed dreads wouldn't have been so bad_.

Rouge had to literally force herself not to strike too soon and potentially ruin everything – she wanted Knuckles to just start to recover, that was when he'd be weakest. _Now_; just as the guardian's breathing began to mellow out slightly she resumed the tickling attack, pushing slightly harder and grinning broadly as this time Knuckles couldn't hold it back; the echidna laughed wildly and jerked around like he'd been hooked up to the mains.

"No Rohohohouge", Knuckles was at a complete loss; all he could think of was that he couldn't take this anymore, "please, stohohohop!"

"Not a chance", the spy had to hold in some giggles of her own; the sight of the one Mobian who could usually battle her to a standstill in a completely ridiculous state of hysterics was somehow incredibly funny, "laughing is supposed to be great exercise; you should thank me". Knuckles tried to glare at her but couldn't hold it for longer than a millisecond,

"You're dead" he managed to promise before she changed targets, going for the ribs instead; Knuckles simply collapsed – he'd been hit like this before but only ever in play, with Sonic and the others as they all mock-fought together. He had no idea he was this ticklish, and he also hadn't had the faintest inkling that it could be such an effective method of reprisal. As it wore on his breathing became more ragged and his normally razor-sharp mind became increasingly tunnelled until all he could think of were two equally demanding and co-joined thoughts;_ I need to get away from here_ and _I need her to stop this now_! Though understandable, the sudden lack of memory meant that Knuckle had completely forgotten about the five Mobians currently inbound to his island.

Rouge nearly had to wrench her hands away to allow Knuckles time to breathe; part of her wanted to carry on tickling him, hear him laugh more but she eventually fought it down, realising that he was now even redder in the face than normal and becoming exhausted from the torment she was putting him through. He needed a little rest, but then only a little; no more than a few…

"Why, are you, doing this?" Rouge looked around surprised; apparently Knuckles had managed to recapture his breath faster than even she had predicted and was now glaring up at her reproachfully. She replied with a sugar-sweet smile,

"You know my problem; I've got too big a heart". The echidna shook his head a little, _great, just what I need, she's making even less sense than usual_.

"And just what's that supposed to mean?"

"Isn't it obvious", _next target identified – keep him talking_; Rouge rolled her eyes as she slowly stood up from the bed and stretched, Knuckles tracing her every movement with nervous eyes, "after your heartfelt plea, I couldn't bear to have touched those long, girly locks of yours", she faced him again and he quailed at the sparkle of sheer mischief in her eyes, "so I decided this was a better way to get my own back". Knuckles couldn't believe it; she'd gone mad, that was the only explanation – there was no way the Rouge he knew could ever act this, this, childish? Was that even the right word for this insanity?

"You've gone nuts", he tried to voice his belief and would have continued if she hadn't pounced and driven in under his arms, dissolving him into a shrieking mess again. As she tickled, Rouge grinned and leant in close to the echidna's wagging head, whispering into his ear.

"Rule number one of negotiations Knucklehead; when you're helpless and relying on goodwill to survive, it pays not to hack the other party off". The echidna turned suddenly and did the only thing he could to strike back at his harasser; it was infantile and would probably get him into more trouble but he did it anyway. Forcing his face as close to hers as possible, Knuckles blew a raspberry at the smirking, torturing bat, grinning evilly as she leapt away from him. He chortled as she slowly wiped the side of her face and even managed a spur of the moment punch-line.

"Helpless am I Rouge; still got you going though didn't I?" _What the hell am I doing; I'm supposed to be a responsible adult._

Rouge slowly and deliberately stroked the few stray flecks of saliva out of the fur of her cheek, mind having planned revenge on the impudent echidna down to the finest detail. She stepped forwards and wiggled her fingers at her smirking nemesis as she bared her fangs.

"Bet you think you're really smart don't you?"

"I don't think; I know I'm really smart, smarter than you at least". _Keep on digging_; Rouge gave a saucy smile as she moved out of range of his lethal tongue, remembering her previous attacks and where she had received the best reactions out of him.

"Well guess what; when I'm through with you you'll be screaming for mercy". Knuckles weighed up his options before thinking _I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't so what the hey_.

"Nah, I'll be screaming to drown out your girly voice". _I can't believe he just said that – he's gonna pay!_ That insult let Rouge break out the little imp in her; with a playful roar she let rip with her most devastating attack yet; Knuckles didn't stand a chance.

"Gaahahahahaha, stoooop", pleading was next to useless but the guardian was out of ideas, "please, no mohohohore; you'll kill mehehehehe!"

"No way smart guy", Rouge was grinning almost as much as Knuckles as she piled on the pressure, completely giving in to her inner child as she realised she hadn't had so much fun since she couldn't remember when, "you're so clever; think your way out of this". She moved back to his stomach, expertly remembering the best spots as Knuckles ran out of air to laugh with; he quivered and heaved with dry laughter for seconds before Rouge took a little pity on him and backed off, allowing him to gulp down atmosphere again.

"ETA five minutes people"; as that declaration echoed around the interior of the Tornado it was all Sonic could do not to fall to his knees and offer thanks that the nightmare would soon be over. Having made his declaration through the speaker to his younger brother and thus voided Shadow's bargain he, Amy and Shadow had been subjected to barrel rolls, a second loop-de-loop and an entire minute of doing nothing but flying upside-down. He and the other two sufferers had only survived by quietly whispering what they'd do to the pair of pilots when they landed in revenge. Personally Sonic had thought no-one would be able to trump his hanging them up by their flight appendages from a nearby tree idea but Amy was so far in the lead with a true deadly, degenerative revenge scheme. The pink hedgehog had told them about Knuckles telling her that the mushroom trimming meant a lot of spores were dislodged and, according to him, they burrowed deep into fur and were a real pain to dislodge. Collecting a bucketful then dumping the pair of them into it sounded like such a tempting prospect that Sonic was almost desperate to get at those mushrooms right now.

"Soon be time, right?"

"Oh yeah", Sonic found himself sharing Shadow's diabolical smile, "soon they'll wish they'd never agreed to this trip dudes".

"Do you reckon Knuckles will help? He'd be a real asset in getting these spores for us and all". _Good idea in theory Amy, but I doubt it_; Sonic had known the echidna for too long to even entertain the notion that he'd be up for any kind of prank or joke; even on the few occasions when he did deign to join in their games he usually had to be dragged in kicking and screaming.

"I don't think so Ames; he's a great guy but Knucks is a real stick-in-the-mud. I reckon we'll have to do this one alone". The rose hedgehog shrugged as she settled back in her seat, eating up the distance to the now visible Angel Island with her eyes as though she could almost feel the ground beneath her feet.

"Oh well, at least if we all work together we'll pull this off right?" Shadow nodded, his red eyes glinting with inner fire as he put his hand forwards,

"Together we stand" he intoned as Amy and then Sonic put their paws atop his and informally shook on it; Tails and Cream were going to cop it full on before the day ended.

"You are so dead when I get free". Knuckles panted as he regained a small measure of composure, bracing up his shattered mental barriers to try and withstand another assault for at least a few seconds. _Not that it's any help right now…what is she doing now?_ Rouge had her back to him and that made him nervous. He started when she jumped up, rubbing her hands gleefully as she turned to face him again.

"I know", _uh oh_, "I'm going to make you a deal Knucklehead". The echidna rolled his eyes and shifted a bit on the bed, waiting for her to ask for the one thing he could never give her.

"I'll stop, if…" _he's never going to believe this; I hope he says no – I'll get to torture him for a bit longer_. Knuckles bit back a sigh as he realised she was waiting for him to ask the dreaded question.

"If?" He prompted, secretly dreading the answer and praying he had enough inner will and resolve to survive anything she threw at him.

"…if you admit I'm a better treasure hunter than you!" Knuckles nearly let his jaw drop open as the question reached his ears and Rouge smirked at his gormless expression. For a second the echidna was about to say it, but then his spirit, the strength that drove him to carry on and never give up, rose to the surface and drowned out all his fears and concerns. A grim, defiant smile crept onto his face as he looked her dead in the eye,

"No, way". Rouge folded her arms and smiled right back at him, rejoicing inwardly as she mentally planned how she could attack him this time.

"You're a glutton for punishment aren't you?" Knuckles stuck his tongue out at her and said defiantly,

"Do your worst". Rouge thrust out her hands and spread the fingers wide as she declared,

"No mercy" and sprang.

Knuckles held out for a few seconds longer than he had planned but no more, giving way into helpless laughter as Rouge carried on tickling; this was a planned strategy from the spy and this stage, at least, was a little more controlled than her other attacks, testing his resistance. Though still suffering, Knuckles was able to keep a modicum of control and even talk for seconds at a time. As the torture dragged into minutes she made an observation,

"You need to laugh more", she burrowed into his ribs as she said it as if to emphasis the point, "all that scowling you do makes you look old". Rouge slowed up a touch to let her prisoner snatch a breath and reply,

"Well I guess you'd be the expert there". Rouge felt a faint flush on her cheeks and snarled,

"You cheeky…right that's it!" She suddenly turned on the gas and left Knuckles gasping for air to fill his aching lungs.

"Apologise for that right now!"

"Okay, sorreehehehehe"; Knuckles had nothing to lose by saying that and even he knew enough about women in general to know that joking about their age was usually painful, "ahhhaha, stoooop!"

"No way", Rouge added a little word play to confuse and weaken the guardian, "you're enjoying it too much". Knuckles sat up as much as was possible to try and see her, confusion written on his face as she lunged for his underarms, causing him to collapse onto the soft bed again in a chortling heap.

"Whahahaahat; you're nuts!"

"No; you're laughing so you must like this".

"Sthahahahap!"

"Stop laughing and I will".

"I can't".

"Because you like it". Knuckles saw through the trick at last and realised he couldn't argue his way out; Rouge had the conversation stitched up like a kipper. The guardian snarled; this was a matter of pride now and he'd never lost a battle for that before.

"I'll get yohohohohohou!" Rouge gave a playful scowl and upped the tempo of her tickling attack, rendering Knuckles nearly completely incoherent as tears started to form in his eyes and his poor, tired jaw began to ache. In the tiny part of his mind that hadn't been reduced to babbling mush the echidna realised he still had a chance, but it was far too slim to take now, he had to resist for a little while longer before he could use it fully.

"Thank you for flying Skyfox airlines". As the Tornado landed on the rough landing strip of Angel Island Tails and Cream had their strategy for escaping punishment worked out in advance and then some; the radios the fox had installed were more powerful than the hedgehogs had realised and, though missing specifics, both younger Mobians had got a general gist that getting caught could be fairly unpleasant. As soon as the momentum of the plane had died and the passenger ramp was deployed, Tails popped the top of the cockpit and threw off his safety harness, struggling to rise to his feet as soon as was possible. _Quickly now; Sonic'll be here any second, gotta get safe before then_; the kit stood on his seat and the twisted his tails to grab some sky, flying vertically upwards with Cream alongside him, both rapidly gaining altitude and starting to head for a nearby tree just as twin blue and black blurs raced up the side of the cockpit.

"Rats, they're getting away". Shadow pointed the direction the duo were flying in to Amy, who watched on as they touched down in the branches of a tall tree. She snickered as she was joined by the unsuccessful pair of Sonic and Shadow; the first part of the plan to bush-whack the pilot and co-pilot as they landed having gone belly-up.

"You two look like you're building a nest". From his vantage point Tails saw Sonic's trademark smile edge into view and grimaced;_ three, two, one and…_

"Yeah, a love nest at that". Cream, sitting on a low bough and smoothing out her dress, was stung by that shot and shouted back,

"Listen 'Mr. Sonic'", that shut the blue hedgehog up, "it's that kind of comment that made us try that trick out. You want some more of the same; we've got to fly you back remember". Sonic swallowed his pre-formed retort and thought hard, gesturing for Amy and Shadow to come closer into a huddle.

"What do you think they're up to?"

"Reckon it's a plan; stay sharp" Tails warned the rabbit, concentrating on what his friends on the ground were doing and trying to put himself in their position; you've just been fooled into thinking your lives were in danger when they weren't – what plan would you do to get revenge? Tails sank his fist onto his chin as he knitted his brows, there was a lot of options for the scheming threesome and none that he could think of catered for the possibility of Cream or himself enjoying it much. He was thinking so much that Cream's hushed whisper of,

"They're back" nearly caused him to tumble to the ground in surprise. Glancing down, the fox realised the huddle had broken and it appeared Shadow had been elected as spokes-Mobian. The black hedgehog walked a little closer to the tree-hugging pair and looked up at them.

"You guys, listen up", the former ultimate life-form spelt out what the three had decided, "we all just decided that we're not going to try anything on you", before they could register the inklings of disbelief the black hedgehog had pressed on, "we may have been a bit harsh in teasing you two, so you did what you had to do to get a bit of revenge".

"Yeah we did, and it was sweet as" Cream told him, carefully observing the reactions of the three as she said it – _doesn't look like they're angry, this might be the truth_. Sonic spoke up next as she mulled over what could happen next,

"Yeah, but anyway, here's what we'll do; we'll call it quits at this – draw a line under the lot of it and pretend it didn't happen. Sound okay?" The fox and rabbit held a brief conversation before Tails answered his elder brother,

"So far, keep talking". Sonic nodded and carried on,

"Right, what we want from you is a promise – you're not going to try any of that stuff on the way back. For our part, we'll lay off the snide remarks and jokes…"

"Like you did last time?" Cream was vividly reminded of Sonic's voice in the Tornado causing Tails to lead off into a barrel roll.

"…and I mean it this time" the hedgehog finished, looking up and waiting for an answer as the two Mobians up in the tree reconvened and took stock of the situation.

"What do you think?" Cream scratched one of her ears as she puzzled over it; Sonic had sounded sincere and it wasn't like any of her friends to lie, but then again that had been a major stunt they'd just pulled. The rabbit made her mind up slowly as she licked her eyes to the hedgehogs one last time,

"I say we make them promise on it, and we will as well. If they do, we go down to them. Sound good?"

"Fair enough", Tails agreed before shouting down, "okay, but you lot have to promise, and keep your fingers where we can see them". _Been caught out by that once too often Sonic_. To his surprise all thirty fingers were swiftly exposed and the promise repeated swiftly; the hedgehogs had realised that if they didn't swear on this Tails would make the trip here look like a fly-past on the way back.

"Okay, we promise" three voices chorused before Amy piped up,

"Now it's your turn". The two young Mobians repeated the promise before gliding gently to the ground, still wary of any reprisal movements. One collective thought echoed unknown through all five as the pair merged with the trio – _whew, glad that's over_. It was as the five began unloading their equipment that Sonic suddenly noticed something strange.

"There's something missing here", the blue hedgehog was kicking himself mentally for not realising it earlier; now he'd seen it he couldn't believe he'd missed it for so long. Amy set her bag down and looked at him questioningly,

"What's that?"

"Give you a clue", Sonic smiled as the others took an interest, looking up from their bags, "it's a bit taller than me, red and white all over and it's had its sense of humour surgically removed". Tails glanced about as he cottoned on – this was definitely a strange turn of events.

"Good point; where's Knuckles?" The aura of confusion that had been present suddenly dissipated to be replaced with an equally powerful emotion of concern; as Shadow pointed out, Knuckles was usually nothing if not punctual.

"I hope Mr. Knuckles is alright" Cream said aloud; she hadn't talked to the guardian as much as she had the others, but he'd been polite to her when they had met and she didn't wish harm on anyone, except maybe Eggman. Noticing the rabbit's face fall Amy stooped and lifted her chin with one hand, smiling at her as she worked out the most likely reason behind the guardian's mysterious absence.

"Don't worry Cream; Knuckles is probably just starting without us. He always likes to start the job early", when she saw the rabbit brighten, she looked up at Sonic and Shadow, "why don't you two go look for him?"

"Sure thing, could do with a run – you check the shrine, I'll go to his place, it's not too far from here". Cream looked up as Shadow spoke,

"Can I come, Mr Shadow? Please?" The black hedgehog gave a thumbs-up and squatted down, allowing her to grip onto his back.

"Be back in a second folks". Before Sonic could start heir usual pre-run smart talking Shadow had fired up his jet skates and taken off, Cream's lingering yell of delight the only sound to mark his passage. Sonic shrugged and decided to follow his lead – deep down, he was a little rattled by rad red's no show and the sooner he could find him the sooner he'd be able to start, and finish, the task at hand. As he ran, Sonic mentally ran a checklist to try and deduce what could have been keeping the echidna; the thought of Rouge did enter his mind but he dismissed it in an instant – even if it was her, he'd show up soon enough and, together with the guardian, offer some gentle convincing to get her to leave the island in peace.

_Oh my God; I think I've killed him_; Rouge became a little more concerned as, during a few seconds pause Knuckles simply slumped backwards, breathing shallowly with his eyes closed. His red fur was damp with sweat and the dreadlocks she had so recently threatened to bleach were nearly stuck to his cheeks, thrown there as he'd whipped his head from side to side during her most recent tickling.

"Knuckles?" No response – the bat crept a little closer to the echidna's face, entertaining the possibility he'd actually fainted due to a lack of oxygen to the brain. She smiled as she quickly swept his errant hair back to its usual position, the thick cords of red fur tucking in behind his ears. _He looks different when he's not actually guarding the Master Emerald; he's kinda cute_; Rouge sniggered a little herself as she realised that something she'd said earlier was actually true Knuckles was often far too serious for his own good; the permanent scowl that seemed glued onto his features had left deep, premature crow's feet around the corners of his mouth. Such a shame really; at times the bat had to consciously remind herself that he was actually younger than her, though not by much more than a year. _Eighteen going on eighty – poor guy_; Knuckles, and her main feeling towards him, was an enigma to the spy – did she envy Knuckles for having the Master Emerald and his own floating island, or pity him for being imprisoned by them? She started back to the present; she was in the ascendancy now and she wasn't about to let him losing consciousness spoil her fun.

"Knuckles? Knuckles wake up" she commanded, leaning in a bit closer and walking right into a second trap.

_She's touching me again; my dreadlocks, she's just moving them out of the way._ Knuckles faked the act of falling on the borders of unconsciousness well; he didn't twitch or jerk away as his tormentor stroked the side of his face, just lying their relaxed, aching body grateful for the rest. She was still for a while longer, maybe thirty seconds before she moved again; shifting her bodyweight so she was closer to him.

"Knuckles? Knuckles wake up". As soon as he felt the heat of her breath on his face he sprang his trap; regardless of how much she was going to make him pay in the future, he took his opportunity with both hands and decided to get one over on her.

She saw him smile and realised she'd been had; Rouge tried to move backwards in time but didn't have a chance. Knuckles reared up as much as was possible for him and the spy felt something wet and hot strike the side of her face as she clawed her way backwards, the echidna's mockery ringing in her ears as she realised what had happened – Knuckles had hit her with his lethal tongue for a second time! She was unsure of whether to be impressed, furious or disgusted but above all there was the urgent need for revenge, especially as Knuckles was aptly demonstrating he'd recovered the ability to laugh.

"And you call me gullible", the echidna snorted as Rouge glowered at him, "at least I didn't get caught out twice by the same trick". _Real smooth slick; she's gonna make you pay for that – shut up; I enjoyed it – look out, she's getting ready. _Taking a deep, calming breath, Rouge stood up slowly, arching her wings and casting the prone echidna into shadow; before he could get ready she had begun her final assault; this time she wouldn't stop until Knuckles had admitted the truth as she saw it.

_Oh nooooooo_! Knuckles realised there was no way he could stand up to this for long; Rouge was going all out on his very worst spots; not his ribs directly, but the gaps between his ribs. The echidna howled with renewed ferocity he hadn't even known he'd had left in him. She wasn't giving him any breaks; this was a pure, relentless assault that would only end one way – the guardian felt ten fingers scrap against his ribs again, hitting with the exact amount of force necessary for him to arch his back and shriek out loud.

"Shadow, stop!" The sudden shout from his passenger almost sent the black hedgehog sprawling but he managed to recover and pull up, albeit in an ungainly fashion. Twisting to look over his shoulder, Shadow asked,

"What?" Cream put a finger to her lips,

"Listen"; Shadow stood still, dimming the flames on his jet shoes as he stood still as stone and…yes, there was something there – it was faint but he could hear it. It sounded like someone screaming, and more importantly it was coming from the direction he wanted to go in. Hardening his eyes, the black hedgehog whispered,

"Cream, hop off". The rabbit did as she was told, nervous as Shadow moved forwards slowly, ears straining as he sought out the reason behind the noise, unaware that he was being followed by the small rabbit. Stealthily creeping forwards, Shadow followed the noise until he was hidden behind the shrubbery behind the back of Knuckles cabin. The sounds were coming from inside and Shadow definitely recognised the guardian's voice; Knuckles was in trouble. He was about to charge in and help when a sudden small touch on his arm nearly sent him leaping out of his skin.

"Cream", the black hedgehog gripped his heart as it sought to hammer its way out of his chest, "didn't I tell you to stay back?"

"No, but listen", due to her larger ears the rabbit had been able to tell what was going on, "I think it's Mr. Knuckles, but he's laughing". _Laughing? Hey wait a sec_, Shadow strained his ears, trying to put the rabbit's words into his mind, _yeah, it does sound like hysterics._ Now that the crisis appeared over the black hedgehog was overtaken with curiosity; what could cause Knuckles, as serious as they came, to break down like this? Only one way to find out,

"Cream, take a seat", Shadow crossed his legs and sat down behind the bush, peeking out to see the back of the log building, "we'll just wait here and see what Mr. Knuckles is up to, okay?" A child's imagination sparked and she whispered excitedly,

"Kind of like spies would?"

"Yeah, just like spies"; _no, never; I've gotta be wrong here_; a can of worms popped open in Shadow's mind as Cream's last sentence echoed in his head. He was so wrapped up in it that he nearly missed the crucial words from within the building itself.

Rouge pushed away, giving him a second's rest; she decided to make her grand finale a special event as Knuckles widened his eyes in sheer terror.

"This is it Knucklehead – any last words?"

"No Rouge, wait, don't…" the spy moved; she thundered straight into the echidna's vulnerable ribcage with minute precision and he was splintered into smithereens, "stohohohohop, plehehehehehehehease!"

"Don't stop please?" the bat felt her grin widen as she turned the echidna's words against him, "well since you asked so nicely; okay I won't". She pressed on as Knuckles tried to curse at her but simply didn't have the breath to spare to do so.

_I don't believe it_; Shadow was simply stunned – the voice was muffled through the walls and drowned by the echidna's frenzied laughter but it had definitely been Rouge's. _Okay, from what I can tell, Knuckles is being reduced to hysterics by Rouge – the others aren't going to believe_, Shadow sat bolt upright_, the others!_ He turned to Cream and spoke quickly,

"Cream, I'm entrusting you with an important duty", he put on an official voice, "you're duty is to stay here and man this post; observe the building and all enemy movements, record the conversations that take place and above all, do not let yourself be seen. I'm going for back-up". The rabbit gave a salute and a smile,

"Yes sir; get the others here at the double". Shadow took off, running as hard as he ever had back the way he had come, still not fully believing what must have been going on in that little cabin. A smile crept along his face; _maybe, just maybe, that pair have finally twigged to each other!_

Shadow raced on, covering the ground back to the Tornado in less than a minute – to his relief, he realised that, despite the greater distance involved, the black hedgehog's delay to recover information had let Sonic beat him back. Just this once, however, he was grateful that the blue hedgehog had got back first; it'd save him time in tracking his flat mate down. He slowed his approach speed down just as Amy noticed him,

"Hey Shadow, any luck?" He didn't answer, there wasn't enough time in his mind; instead, he simply grabbed the pink hedgehog and swung her over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes, ignoring her sudden squawk of protest.

"Shadow, what are you doing?" Sonic was edgy as the black hedgehog span to him and shot from the lip,

"Sonic, get Tails and follow me; don't argue, just do it – you'll thank me when we get there. Amy, hold still; I won't hurt or drop you but we need to get there now". It was an agonising five second delay before Sonic had gathered his younger brother up and nodded; without a second glance Shadow span on his heel and took off, trying to imagine their reactions to what he'd discovered at the same time as pick out the route he needed to take with an expert eye.

Cream leaned forwards from her camouflaged position; the laughter coming from inside was starting to abate slightly and she could hear snatches of conversation from inside.

"No, please no more…"

"Admit it", the rabbit gasped; she couldn't be sure but she thought that voice was Ms Rouge. Cream had only ever met her once or twice but, she strained to remember the exact tone and accent the bat had spoken with, it was very similar to the one she remembered. The next voice was weak and strained and pity surfaced in the young Mobian's heart – poor Mr Knuckles sounded exhausted as he answered the other person,

"Alright, alright, just, let me breathe", there was a few seconds of silence; Cream imagined Mr Knuckles was catching his breath, "Rouge, you are…

"Yes?" _That must be Ms Rouge then; Mr Knuckles said so_.

"You, are, so gullible it's untrue!" The rabbit hid a smile as the female voice simply replied with,

"And you are going to say it, even if it takes all day". As the echidna started laughing again the rabbit put a paw over her mouth to try and mask a smile; she realised what Ms Rouge must be doing to Mr Knuckles; it was the same thing Mum did to her when she'd been cheeky or a little bit naughty. There was a noise behind her and she glanced over her shoulder, waving as she saw the rest of her friends approach quietly, smile threatening to spread out under her hand as she saw the looks on their faces.

"Is that Knuckles?"

"Sure sounds like him doesn't it?" Shadow said good-naturedly as Sonic simply boggled at the news,

"But, but Knuckles!" _No way; this can not be happening – nothing, and I mean nothing, makes him laugh like that, except maybe when he heard my middle name_. Amy and Tails crept closer to Cream, the fox in particular taking a keen interest as he had heard the importance of the rabbit's 'mission'.

"What's the status corporal?" he enquired, giving her a rank on the spot as she beamed at him and replied to both her listening friends,

"No movement, but I think I've heard enough to make a conclusion", Cream lowered her voice conspiratorially, "I think Mr Knuckles is being held prisoner by Ms Rouge, and she's making him laugh".

Tails blinked; somehow that just hadn't sunk in right – Knuckles and Rouge, laughing with each other. No, that just wouldn't happen, but at the same time he couldn't doubt the evidence of his own ears; the laughing voice was definitely his echidna friend and he was usually serious as snakebite.

"I don't believe it", _neither do I_; Tails felt his jaw drop as, along with Amy, he heard irrefutable evidence that the person behind the echidna's misery was none other than the spy herself,

"Come on Knucklehead", the voice was obviously shouting to make itself heard, "just say it and you'll be free".

"Never", that was definitely Knuckles, though he sounded sore and short of breath, "never, never, nevahahahaha!"

"Your funeral". The tortured shrieking of a tormented echidna started again as all five Mobians swapped glances; four of them simply screamed _this is priceless; this is solid gold pressed with platinum_, while the last was full of concern.

"Shouldn't we help Mr Knuckles?" Cream looked a little confused; he was their friend and he was in trouble, why weren't the others doing anything to help him? Sonic, face folding up as the implications of what this situation could translate into sprang up gloriously in his mind, squatted next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"No Cream; this is something Mr Knuckles will have to work out on his own; it's for the best, trust me". _ Especially if I can get there with a camera when they find out we've heard this_. As the rabbit thought about the hedgehog's words Sonic signalled to the others and whispered,

"If it turns nasty we'll help out, until then we sit tight and just listen", he suddenly remembered what Tails had said earlier and glanced at Cream sternly but not unkindly, "don't you have a post to be at soldier?"

"Yes sir", the rabbit gave a second salute and moved back to her previous position, listening and watching the back of the cabin as her friends silently offered thanks that they'd been able to catch this monumental event.

_I gotta hold out – no, this is it, no more – hold it in – there's nothing left to hold; it was a good fight lads but that's it, the white flag's going up_;

"Okay, okay, okay", Knuckles finally gave up the ghost; tired, sore and completely out of breath the echidna gave a last few giggles as Rouge, suspecting a second attempt at tricking her, regarded him with a very piercing eye. _No, he's not faking not this time_, she could see in his watering eyes that she'd done it, she'd broken through, _oh revenge is so sweet; now this is going to last._

"All right then", the bat slowly pushed herself upright off his body, tickling him a little more as she dictated the terms of surrender, "say it nice and slow, and loud as well; I want to hear this and remember it for all time". The echidna glared up poisonously but as she threatened with a wave of her hand over his stomach he slowly saw the light; thickly and with great reluctance Knuckles spoke the words that would have shattered his pride for all time had the near future turned out differently.

"All right; Rouge, you are a better treasure hunter than me". _Ooh I hate you_; he almost fancied he could see the bat's head swell up as she tasted those words like a fine wine. She took a deep, satisfying breath before opening her eyes again and smiling down at the echidna,

"Typical Knucklehead", to his surprise she didn't attack him again; she simply moved his dreadlocks out of his line of vision again, giving him a full view of her victorious smile, "never knows when to quit; you could have said it earlier and saved yourself a lot of trouble".

"Where's the fun in that?" He shot the remark back before he'd even thought about it; the words shocked both of them but Knuckles recovered first, "forget I said that".

"Why, did you like that?" Rouge smiled as she realised he'd just delivered a second opportunity to her on a silver platter, "does the little Knucklehead want some more?"

"Maybe", that confused the bat even more, just like Knuckles had hoped it would; he knew he had one shot at what he had planned and it all depended on his acting, "but listen Rouge, before you do anything else, I need a favour".

"I'm listening", Rouge gave a luxurious, cat-like stretch as Knuckles shook his head and sighed, slowly feeling a little strength returning as he waited for the bat to finish preening herself before continuing,

"I need a drink; I'm parched and haven't had one since this morning. Please could you get me one?" Rouge glanced around quickly before sadly shaking her head,

"Sorry no; looks like you forgot to install plumbing in this shack".

"Everyone's a comedian", the guardian gave a caustic glance tinged with a reluctant smile, "there's a stream not too far from here; that's where I get my water from. There's a jug on the table next door, go get a jugful for me, please?" Summoning all his acting talent Knuckles attempted to look pleading and cute; he had to stop himself hissing in triumph when Rouge nodded and headed for the door.

"Okay, I suppose I owe you that; after all, can't be easy laughing that long after what, fifteen years complete seriousness? I was surprised your face didn't crack". Knuckles stuck his tongue out at her retreating back before returning to the matter at hand.

"All that just to hear him say that?" Tails put his head in his hands, though there was a smile on his face as he did so, "I knew those two were mental but that's bad even for them".

"I think it's cute". Amy spoke up as the little group of friends realised that, with Rouge out of the picture for a little while, they had about a five minute recess to try and explain a few things.

"Cute maybe, funny certainly", Sonic cut in, perhaps the only one present who could fully comprehend the ludicrousness of the situation; Knuckles, one of the most formidable people he'd ever met, reduced to begging and pleading by his sometime-enemy by simple tickling? It was so stupid it actually made sense, "I am never going to let him live this down, not after the song and dance he made over the M-word".

"So I take it a rescue mission wasn't on your mind?" Shadow asked sardonically; it hadn't been on his either but not for that reason.

"No way, besides Rouge might catch us and I don't fancy facing her when Knuckles can't fight well". Amy grimaced and shook her head,

"That is possibly the weakest excuse I've ever heard – unless it was the Tails special of embarrassing you".

"What was that?" Cream was now extremely curious as she hadn't heard this one; the perpetrator himself grinned over to her as Sonic sniffed sneeringly as though it was beneath him, though not so long ago this had been a sure way to send him up the wall.

"I always wanted Maur-ice in my drinks" the fox sniggered; _still got it_ – he realised as Sonic turned a very light shade of rose.

As soon as he had been sure Rouge had gone, Knuckles had been in action; he remembered the bat's words that these ropes, rather than snapping, stretched as they were pulled on. It was this fact and this fact alone that the guardian was relying on; the struggling he'd done recently must have exerted a heck of a strain on his bonds, but had it been enough? _One way to find out_; pulling himself up as much as possible to give his arms a little leeway the guardian tried his plan out. His right hand twisted around, trying to wrap the rope around it and, he grinned painfully as the cord pressed onto the meat of his hand even through his glove, it was coming. The stretched cord twisted slowly, agonisingly slowly as in his mind he saw Rouge returning at any minute, but soon it was in place, close to the sharp edges of his knuckle spurs. Now for the hard bit; the echidna slowly slid the rope back and forwards against his natural armaments, gradually fraying the rope and weakening it, lessening the resistance to his great strength.

Luckily for the echidna Rouge made her way to the stream slowly; her mind was in a bit of a fix as she replayed the events of about he last forty-five minutes over and over in her head. _What happened; I behaved like a kid and, yeah, so did he – we're never like this normally, what gives?_ The spy mulled her emotions over as she reached the stream and kneeled down; as the jug slowly filled with crystal clear water she sighed. During that regression to childhood she'd had more fun than he'd had in a long time, but why was that? Was it because Knuckles was there, or was it because she felt she was getting the better of him for once? Had Knuckles felt the same power rush when he had caught her in Mushroom Grove, or had that been intended as punishment for her trespass? She knitted her brows as she came to her feet, the full jug now in her hands as she headed back to the cabin – she was unsure how to proceed. She wanted to keep the echidna at her mercy for as long as possible but the longer that was the more chance she had of driving a wedge between them; the last thing she wanted was to force them apart – she enjoyed his company and had a suspicion he reciprocated that feeling though she couldn't prove it. Rouge smiled and decided she'd make a decision when she saw him again but one thing was for certain; she was going to make sure he never forgot about this.

With an almost musical twang the rope suddenly snapped at a tug from the guardian; for a second he didn't react as though not believing it could have happened. The reality kicked in again and he quickly reached his now free hand over to his other arm, using the keen edge of his spurs to slice the rope cleanly. He hastily did the same to his feet and swung off the bed that had been his prison for far too long. As he massaged his wrists and ankles his mind raced on ahead; _right, I'm free – now, get somewhere safe and rest up for a bit, then we can come back and – NO!_ Suddenly that train of thought hit a brick wall of certainty; Knuckles looked up from his sitting position and his lilac eyes crackled with one thought and one thought only – _REVENGE!_


	2. Part 2

Part 2.

A/N – this chapter gets a bit angst-filled towards the end but I still think it's K+; review and tell me if I'm wrong or not please. Just a few words of thanks:

Ri2 – Thanks for viewing this and my previous fanfic – hope you enjoyed them both.

Obelisk – Glad you enjoyed chapter 1; I hope you'll take time out to read Angel of Darkness and Ice as well. Cheers for the review!

Not seconds earlier, Knuckles could have swore he had been completely exhausted; he hadn't eaten all day, he'd just done a full training session and then Rouge had subjected him to a torture that he hadn't been sure he could survive. However, once that single, simple thought germinated in his abused mind it rapidly raced all through his psyche; all other thoughts of running or hiding from his tormentor evaporated from his head and his tiredness vanished. A manic, almost scary grin appeared on his normally passive or scowling face as his entire body buzzed like a hive of wasps, lending him the energy he needed. Visions of the batgirl screaming for mercy and howling like he had swam enticingly through his imagination as he took up a perfect position to ambush her. _She won't see me behind the door; it opens towards the bed_; Knuckles rapidly stalked behind the solid wooden portal, eyes slanting and a few low, dark chuckles rumbling in his mind as he envisioned how he'd carry out his attack. _Spring as she steps through the door – she'll be carrying a jar of water and won't be able to attack me back. Tackle her to the floor and then…_ Knuckles took a calming breath, though he wasn't able to wipe the grin off his face as he heard the characteristic tapping noise of Rouge's shoes as she stepped back inside the wooden floor of his building.

"What do you reckon caused it?" Tails had a smile on his face as all five Mobians took advantage of Rouge's absence, and by extension the silence, to hold a conversation on just what was going on.

"I have no idea", Amy spoke up as she glanced back towards the building itself, "barring some kind of deranged dare or two isolated cases of temporary insanity, I can't think of a single thing". Shadow had held his peace long enough; shifting position to be closer to the shade of the bush, the black hedgehog voiced a private theory and the evidence he had that could back it up.

"I think that Knucks and Rouge have finally snapped",

"I could have told you that", Sonic piped up but his flat mate shook his head and carried on,

"Not what I meant; those two actually feel for each other; I won't say the L-word because I'm not sure if it is but it could be that they're just playing together".

"You think Ms. Rouge and Mr. Knuckles are in love?" Cream spoke into the vacuum Shadow's words had left; the other three were too shocked to even think about replying – _Knuckles and Rouge? Together?_

"Maybe", Shadow managed to answer before the predicted flurry of amazement and disbelief arrived to take his attention.

"Those two; Shads man, you've got a few wires crossed in your head".

"I agree. They usually can't be in the same room together without arguing". Tails and Sonic were in vehement denial but Amy wasn't quite the same; it sounded far-fetched, but, the harder she thought about it, the more sense it seemed to make. Shadow's expressions weren't easy to read but, as he coolly remained silent while Sonic and Tails raged around him with explanations of why he had to be wrong, she thought she could see his reasons.

"You know, hey guys", she spoke quietly to calm down the talk of the other four, "I hate to say it, but I reckon Shads has got something here".

"Oh Amy", Sonic looked at her wounded, "not you too".

"No, let's hear Mr. Shadow out", Cream spoke up in defence of her team mate, "maybe he's right". The other two still looked disbelieving but looked up at the black hedgehog anyway as he quietly cleared his throat and started his explanations.

"I think those two care because of what happened during Seraph's hunt here".

At the name the temperature cooled off by ten degrees and Cream squeaked and shuffled closer to Tails; though she hadn't been present during those sleepless, terrifying days she'd been told about them and the circumstances behind the capture of Dr Eggman. The descriptions of the vampire bat, his soulless voice and complete disregard for others had conjured up a fearsome picture in the rabbit's mind – she had imagined him as a cross between Metal Sonic and the mythical monster in the closet who was always hunting and always hungry, a scary and dangerous monster. Before the pause could lengthen too much Shadow continued,

"Remember Knucks let Rouge and Nack stay here; now I know that doesn't mean much but what happened when we first arrived?"

"Seraph attacked us", Sonic filled in slowly, recollecting the blitzkrieg that had occurred when the Tornado had landed, "he went for Nack and stole his gun".

"Yes, but what happened after that", Shadow pressed; this was when he had first had suspicions, "he ran straight at Knuckles and…"

"And Rouge jumped in the way" Amy finished for him, the picture of Seraph making his escape as vivid now as it had been then. Sonic nodded as he remembered the attack as well; the bat had definitely thrown herself in the way of someone armed with a knife who was headed straight at Knuckles.

"Okay, she did that", Sonic conceded before fast-forwarding in his mind to a little later in the proceedings, "and, yeah that's right; Knuckles gave me the red emerald – said he wanted me to look after Rouge". The blue hedgehog chuckled good-naturedly as he remembered being woken up and, after a little teasing, had agreed that Seraph wouldn't lay a finger on Rouge until he'd gone through Sonic. The fact that had been exactly the way things had panned out didn't matter now – the echidna and bat had made sacrifices, and not small sacrifices at that, to look out for each other. Tails weighed it all up in his logical, scientific mind and, though he was tempted to believe it and actually hoped it was true, decided that the evidence wasn't compelling enough.

"Okay, I accept that's what happened, but that was a one-off and they were under a lot of duress; I don't think it's quite enough to believe outright". _He's right as well; Sonic and Amy don't agree with me fully either, so I may as well spill_; Shadow took a deep breath before giving his final piece of evidence to the jury of friends.

"When we were together on the Island, I managed to speak to them both, in private", the black hedgehog began, recalling the conversations he'd had with each in perfect clarity, "I spoke to Rouge when we were first on guard duty together and asked her a few questions", there was a slight smile as he remembered the struggle he'd had to get her to admit it, "and the long and short of it was that she confessed that she had feelings for Knuckles, but she didn't say what the feelings were" he finished quickly. Sonic chuckled and snapped his fingers after thinking about this statement.

"You talked to Knuckles after I left you to get the towels; I thought you weren't discussing the merits of ants over termites", the other three Mobians looked at each other as if to say 'we'll ask later' as the blue hedgehog continued, "well come on, out with it; what did rad red say?"

"He's the same as her; he's afraid to ask in case she says no". Amy thought hard for a second,

"In that case, this could be good for them". She would have gone on but Cream reported in from the observation post,

"I can hear Ms. Rouge; she's walking in and speaking to Mr. Knuckles". Everyone rushed to their positions as there was a sudden loud crash and a scream of sudden panic.

The bat hadn't stood a chance; carrying a full jar of water, still not fully decided on her course of action and completely unsuspecting of the echidna's escapee act; she had pretty much broadcast her arrival by banging her shoes out on the doorstep, being careful not to spill any of the water she had carried with her. _Oh yes, she's back; soon she'll pay for this insult_; from his concealed post behind the door Knuckles waited with baited breath, excited at the prospect of revenge as the bat spoke.

"Hey Knucklehead, got the water you wanted; hope you're ready to pay for it". Knuckles realised she was waiting for a reply and, being careful to disguise the glee in his voice, tried to sound apprehensive and nervous.

"Oh goody, can't wait".

"I didn't think so", Rouge let a smile blossom on her face; typical Knuckles, he must have recovered enough to allow his smart-aleck attitude to resurface. _No matter what I do to him, I'll never beat him really – he never admits defeat…just like me_. It was as that thought struck her that she walked through the bedroom door.

_Now!_ As soon as a hint of black glove had become visible Knuckles had moved; he lashed out and grabbed the bat by the hand. Before Rouge could consciously react to the pressure Knuckles had capitalised; spinning around and pulling on her arm he executed a traditional judo throw, rolling Rouge over his hip and onto the floor. The water jug, made of plastic, fell from her hand and fell bottom first to the floor, impacting with a heavy smash as Rouge at last found her voice, screaming with shock as the ground rushed up to meet her, instincts straightening her body out as she tried to break her fall properly. The landing stunned her and by that time Knuckles had fully recovered position; with a grateful snarl he pounced onto her back, pinning her to the floor with his body-weight before she could start struggling properly. _Gotcha Rouge; now it's your turn to rue today_; glancing around the echidna gave a silent prayer of amazement as he realised that he really could have his cake and, in this case, drink it. Leaning back, he managed to reach the miraculously un-spilt jug of water as Rouge finally caught up with what must have happened.

"Wha, how did you get free?" Knuckles didn't answer immediately; he was too busy quenching his thirst from the cool water. Finishing his drink the echidna smacked his lips and leaned in close to the spy's ears, careful not to overbalance and give her the opportunity to buck him off. He whispered to her, every word dripping with the same mischief her recent taunts had,

"Stretchy ropes and knuckle spurs tend not to mix batgirl", Rouge shivered as she imagined what must have been foremost in the guardian's mind and realised it didn't bode well for her at all, "you know what they say?" The spy struggled for a second before giving up with a snarl,

"What are they saying this time", _I'm in trouble already, why not?_ "Hell hath no fury; have you been hiding something?"

"Keep on digging batgirl", the echidna replied; he realised just what Rouge had meant when she said that negotiations were best when you were the stronger party, "I was actually thinking of 'he who laughs last laughs loudest", he saw the bat tuck her arms into her sides as she realised what he meant, "but I've done enough laughing today; now it's your turn!"

Though they had originally been concerned by the source of the crash, as the conversation filtered through the wooden walls, Tails was the first to make a conclusion.

"Sounds like Knuckles managed to get free".

"And I really wouldn't want to be in Rouge's boots right about now", Amy admitted, trying to peer through the walls at the same time as catch the faint noises from the cabin, "Knuckles sounds ready to make her pay in full, and then some". Sonic leaned further forwards and a devilish grin emerged as he started to move towards the cabin itself.

"What are you doing?" Shadow demanded.

"I've gotta get closer; this is too perfect", he saw the arguments coming and quickly headed them off, "we're listening already – it doesn't matter if its fifty yards or five, we're all eavesdropping. Besides, that roof is providing shade and the grass is a bit greener over there". There was a slight pause before Shadow shrugged and pushed himself to his feet.

"He's right as well; in for a penny in for a pound; as long as we're quiet, we won't get caught", the black hedgehog jerked his thumb towards the cabin, where Knuckles was, apparently still crowing about his victory to Rouge, a prologue to the torment, "besides, we might be able to hear if they really care – then they'll never be able to deny it again".

"That's a good idea", Cream saw the logic behind Shadow's seemingly twisted reasoning, "if they know we've all heard them they'll have to admit they like each other; it would be the only way they could explain what's happening". The three stood and began to creep forwards, keeping their steps quiet as Amy and Tails wrestled with both the arguments and their own consciences before simultaneously deciding to go for it. A few seconds later, all five Mobians were in the shade of the log cabin; they arrived just in time for the start of Knuckles' revenge.

The echidna had savoured making the bat nervous and now he was going for it. His open hands lanced into Rouge's sides, burrowing between the skin of her waist and her arms as she began to squirm harder under the gentle pressure. Knuckles felt her arms press against his hands, trying to trap them and stop them moving; _no way batgirl_ – acting quickly, he withdrew and whispered tauntingly,

"You can't catch me Rouge; face it, you're helpless". Twisting until she could see him in peripheral vision, the bat gave a scowl.

"Yeah, well I'll last longer than you ever could".

"Oh really", Knuckles was loving every second of this delicious revenge and moved his hands toward his next avenue of attack, "well see if you can last this!" Using both hands he peeled the arm away from her left side and concentrated on it whole-heartedly, not even registering the impacts on his back as Rouge kicked her legs up in response, hitting him with the soles of her boots as she clamped her lips together. She wasn't especially ticklish on her upper body but as Knuckles continued his attack she began to wilt. The echidna grinned as he heard a few choked splutters; he only regretted he couldn't see her face as she resisted him for the moment.

_I'm a goner – he's not going to stop until I crack like he did_; Rouge fought down the sensations in her brain as the echidna stopped tickling for the moment. In the second's grace she had, the spy felt a sudden stab of panic; he hadn't hit her worst spot yet and, as far as she could tell, hadn't even considered it as existing. _I've got to keep that secret; if he finds out he'll kill meehehe – shush, no laughing!_ It was her right side this time and, she smiled in triumph, she could take it; due to her arms she could avoid the full brunt of his attack. Emboldened by this revelation she spoke gratingly,

"Give up Knucklehead; I'm not ticklish". _She's lying, she's only getting away lightly because of her arms_; the echidna gritted his teeth in frustration as Rouge used what he considered an unfair advantage; _I gotta stop that somehow – hmm…_ Knuckles' eyes fell on the partially full water jug and he grinned slyly.

_Okay, keep it together, just stay cool and, eek!_ Something cold and wet splashed down on the bat's ears; droplets of water from the jug she'd brought back. Instinctively, she reached up to wipe them off before they could trickle down and irritate her; too late she realised that had been just what Knuckles had wanted. Like striking cobras his two hands launched into her sides again; without her hands he had a full target and this time a breach appeared in her previously resilient defences.

"Heeheehee", _no, hold the line, hold it_, "argh, no"; she'd averted the crisis for a moment but that had been close as she sent her arms back to reinforce the targeted area.

"Not ticklish batgirl; sure sounded like it" Knuckles proposed as he evaded her grasping hands; he realised he was being as childish as she had but, he admitted with a devious smile, it felt good and was about to get better. Her ears were wet now and he drew a deep breath before blowing across at them gently.

"Ah, quit it", Rouge demanded, flicking her ears as the cold wind irritated her sensory organs and she realised what he was doing, "that's not fair". The echidna's jaw dropped at this – _of all the nerve; I was completely immobilised!_

"All's fair in love, war and vengeance batgirl", he declared, repeating the trick and drawing snarls of protest as Rouge was caught in a quandary; the cold wind on her damp ears was itching but if she tried to scratch them he'd strike. She moved her wings up to try and prevent his breath reaching her but quickly regretted that action as Knuckles made a spilt-second decision that, in his eyes, turned out dividends. The bat felt a couple of fingers gently stroke the skin where her wings joined her shoulders and nearly broke down due to sheer disbelief. She snapped her wings closed but it was too late; he was under them and they weren't strong enough to pin his hands in place; he had a foothold in the breach and was beginning to carry it.

"Knuckles, wahahait", Rouge held her head in her hands, muffling her voice as she tried to drown out the nerve stings from the skin he was stimulating, "ehehehe, stoppit!"

From outside, the sound much clearer now, there was a game of Chinese whispers going on as Cream, one ear almost pressed to the wall itself, passed information to Tails, who said his interpretations to the others. It was a good system, if a trifle unreliable; when Tails said urgently that Knuckles had confessed he loved Rouge forevermore he nearly started a mini-riot before Cream corrected her mistake.

"Sorry, he said all's fair in love and war" the rabbit whispered as Sonic swiped the air with his fist; just for a fleeting instant he though he'd had it – the one thing that would have given him bragging rights on the echidna for all time. His disappointment was quickly forgotten, however, as the sound of giggling became clear through the walls, audible to all listening. Shadow sat back a bit, quietly remarking,

"Looks like he's making progress".

_Laugh batgirl_; Knuckles was overcome with a fierce joy as he realised he was breaking through; _you reduced me to pleading, now it's your turn – be careful; don't get careless with it._ He turned up the speed of his wriggling fingers, though he couldn't go too fast because of his spurs; the skin of Rouge's wings was exceptionally thin and it would be very easy to pierce it with his sharp barbs. He decided to withdraw and gently drew his hands away – he was grinning! He stayed stock-still as that sank in; he was actually enjoying this but why? Yes, he was getting even with the bat but then again, he had seen her smiling when their roles had been reversed – was that was because she had enjoyed it as much as he appeared to be now? He sat back (eliciting a sudden groan of protest and comment about his weight that he ignored with ease of long practice) and swiftly analysed what he was feeling. Getting even gave him a pleasant buzz, similar to the one he felt when he had realised he was in the stronger position and Rouge was at his mercy, but even combined they weren't enough to fully explain this feeling of, of, contentment – was that it? He thought until even Rouge became a little nervous,

"What are you planning Knucklehead; I can assure you it won't work". It was a shame Rouge couldn't have seen all the way over her shoulder; the look of revelation as it dawned over Knuckles' face was simply breathtaking. It was Rouge!

_I'm close to her, that's what it is – I knew I had feelings but, but this proves it! Ah, I knew that already; does she feel…ow!_ Knuckles was startled out of his reverie by a size seven boot in his back; his prolonged silence was really starting to get the spy worried; she wasn't sure what was worse – being kept in the dark about his next scheme or being subjected to it. The echidna snarled – feelings or none, those kicks were really starting to irritate him.

"Right that's it; those boots are coming off".

"No!" Knuckles paused for just a second before his eyes started to shine and Rouge put a hand over her horror-struck mouth – _oh no, what a giveaway; I'm dead meat!_

Outside there was a sudden surge of interest at the exclamation; it seemed that Knuckles had cottoned onto something big and there was a definite buzz in the air as every ear strained to catch the next snatches of conversation.

"Why's that Rouge?" Knuckles realised she'd just provided him with the key he needed to unlock the fortress gates, "trying to hide something for little ol' me? You wouldn't be that devious now, would you?" The bat didn't answer immediately; her mind was racing backwards into her past, the first time she'd booked in for a pedicure and had to turn it down because she hadn't been able to hold her feet still; the brush had tickled too much. It was only when Rouge felt the pressure on her back ease very slightly and start to slide lower down, towards her legs, that she jerked back to the present and gabbled desperately.

"No Knuckles, please, I beg of you; don't touch my feet, I'll die, I can't take that", the weight was still moving south; the echidna was now just above her knees and she realised with a thrill of horror she was nearly out of time.

"You know, not so long ago, I said words very similar to those to a bat who looked a bit like you and", he paused for a few seconds before giving a regretful shake of his head, "no, she didn't take any notice". _Oh no; I can't let him…I can't think about it, someone help me!_ Rouge was still for a few seconds before she exploded into action; clawing at the ground she tried to crawl forwards, out from under the echidna's body and she very nearly succeeded. Caught off balance, Knuckles had to stop his advance fully and grip onto the back of her lower thighs to stop the escape attempt, pinning her down as she tried to kick free, almost frantic with worry as she tried to get away.

"Scurry, scurry little batgirl", Knuckles sang as she realised she'd failed and sank back down, "or should that be little ratgirl; you certainly move like one". It was that comment that let Rouge think again; drowning out the fear she felt in anger she twisted until she could see him and snarled,

"How dare you call me a rat; you're the one who lives in a burrow and digs to get anywhere". Knuckles winced as the words informed him that she was back to her old self. _It works for Sonic apparently; might work here_; the echidna smirked at her fuming face as he spoke next,

"You need to take some of your own advice Rouge".

"Really?" she snorted; the bat was still too angry to think properly; in this case this proved to be a problem as Knuckles grinned again.

"Yeah, all that stuff about good will. Here's my interpretation; it's a good bet that you will laugh at this". And with that, he scrabbled his fingertips across the back of Rouge's knees.

She didn't laugh – she screamed with laughter; resistance was futile, if it had ever existed at all. _Hit the jackpot_; Knuckles hissed with triumph as Rouge fought for even a scrap of self-control.

"Knuhuhuhuhuckles, nohohohohoho", she took a deep breath and buried her head in her arms, muffling her shrieks as the echidna changed his frenzied scrabbling to a gentler, controlled motion; he didn't want her to become exhausted too early, "sthahahahahapp; I'm dying, wahahahahahahaha". Knuckles suddenly quit; he couldn't be sure but he thought there had been a trace of a sob in her voice and the last thing he wanted was to make Rouge cry; _she'd leave, I can't take that_.

"You okay?" _Weakness; go for sympathy_; Rouge let her shoulders shake and didn't look up – if Knuckles moved she was going to make like a blacksmith and make a bolt for the door. _I hope I haven't hurt her, I didn't mean to, but…wait_; Knuckles narrowed his eyes as he recalled their paintball duel – Rouge had tricked him into thinking he'd shot her in the face; he abandoned his hiding place only to receive a chest load of whitewash. He decided to give her a little test first,

"I don't believe you!" _No way,_

"What!" Rouge whipped round, only to see Knuckles cross his arms and raise both eyebrows – she felt her mouth drop open as she realised she'd shot herself in the foot again;_ uh oh_.

"I reckon Rouge is for the high jump now" Tails commented as the bat's sympathy act disintegrated and the laughter started again.

"Good for Mr. Knuckles" Cream said suddenly, "Ms. Rouge was trying to trick him and he saw through it, good for him". Shadow rubbed the rabbit's ears as he listened to the frenzied laughter of the spy echoing through the walls.

"Good for him maybe but by the sounds of things Ms. Rouge would probably disagree with that".

"I can't believe it", Sonic was nearly laughing himself as the actions of the previous seconds made him realise something, "Knuckles actually saw through a trick; he must be ill".

"Or learning, at long last" Tails added before all five tuned in again as an interesting act was reached.

"No, nohohohoho, please Knuxie", Knuckles nearly let her go out of sheer shock; he couldn't have heard that right.

"What did you call me?" Rouge felt herself blush as she remembered just what had passed her lips; she had wanted to call him that before but she'd never exactly found the right moment to say it.

"Well, it's better than Knucklehead isn't it?" she offered weakly, smiling faintly as the echidna felt his heart rejoice, though he was careful to keep his face neutral.

"I guess so", the echidna got over his disbelief and edged on a wicked grin as he suddenly moved again; before she was fully aware of it, Knuckles was off her but both her legs were crushed to his chest, feet upwards and bent at the knees, "but I'm still gonna get your worst spot".

"No, you can't, I'll never survive!"

"Yeah you will – I did". It wasn't exactly encouraging but as the echidna grappled with the buckles that held her boots in place, it was all she had.

Sonic kept his hands over his mouth until he was quite sure he wasn't going to laugh out loud; that would have ruined everything. The others were in similar states; with the suddenness of Rouge's admission it was a small miracle none of them had given the game away.

"Knuxie", Amy fought hard to keep her voice low, "that's a new one on me".

"She is not living that one down – aren't you glad you came here now?"

"Yes Shadow", all four agreed in an instant, "it was worth everything just to be here today and here that" Tails added at the end, listening in again as the bat's slip of the tongue wore off and they returned to the fun of listening in.

As her last boot slid free Rouge was struck with an idea that must surely have been sent from above; before Knuckles could destroy her utterly she turned and shouted,

"I spared you". The echidna snorted with scorn,

"Really, I don't remember it".

"I did", _he can't deny this one_, "I was going to bleach your hair, but I didn't. You owe me one for that". Rouge rejoiced as she watched Knuckles' face fall flat – she had him there, she could save herself. _No, I've come all this way; there's gotta be a way out of this_; if there was he couldn't see it. Gritting his teeth, the echidna asked,

"And what do you want in payment?" Rouge breathed a heavy sigh of relief as her gamble paid off.

"Keep your grubby meat-hooks off my feet". _Oh yes, you are mine girl!_ Knuckles literally had to think of the worst things he could to keep a straight face; he couldn't let her know he had her. For her part, Rouge knew Knuckles had a strong sense of honour and would keep to his word, however hard it must have been for him. _Now, I've got to get the rest of me sa…_ She gave a great, shuddering gasp as something light was draw across the susceptible soles of her exposed toes; she didn't laugh, she was in too much shock. Whipping back round, she screamed,

"You said you…!" The words died in her throat at the sight in front of her; Knuckles was beaming beatifically at her as he used his free hand to drag one of the dreadlocks she'd so recently threatened across her worst spot. _Oh nooooooo!_

"She wasn't lying", Amy winced at the screams coming from inside, "she really meant it when she said she'd die if he touched her feet; sounds like she's being strangled".

"Or fed through a blender" Sonic commented before Cream got in on the act; the rabbit was actively holding her ears shut to spare her acute hearing.

"Or being eaten by hungry piranhas".

"Or being forced to eat glass" Shadow chipped in; all eyes turned to Tails as he tried to use all 300 points of his IQ to come up with something to top the lot of those horrible fates.

"Or…or", his eyes sparkled, "or being forced to watch a marathon of Barney the dinosaur. Widescreen" he finished as everyone around him winced,

"Man, that truly is deranged and twisted", Sonic shuddered as though even the thought of the purple monstrosity was a torment, "remind me to never get on your bad side bro".

Rouge was lost, hopelessly and completely adrift as she shrieked and squealed at the torment Knuckles was forcing on her; his dreads were possibly even worse than his hands as they were softer and tickled more. She was far beyond incoherent; she could barely make any sounds at all as Knuckles finally relented after what to her felt like a lifetime.

"Hey Rouge", the echidna spoke while she was catching her breath, "let's make a deal". The bat dimly remembered she'd done something similar to him and, yes, he'd resisted for a long time before he'd finally cracked. _I've got to try and give him a decent run for his money or I'll never be able to look him in the eye again._ The spy sucked down a gulp of air and spoke breathlessly,

"What deal?"

"I'll stop, if…" _She thought hers was bad – she's not going to believe this._

"If?" She actually was genuinely curious as to what her opponent had managed to think up, so the answer of,

"If you say I'm the better martial artist", caught her cold; that hadn't even entered her mind. The fact that it wasn't true just made it even easier for her to say no.

"Never; go ahead, have a field day" she challenged, bracing herself as much as was possible for the torture that would surely begin soon. Knuckles grinned, offered a silent gesture of thanks and then, it began.

Rouge splintered within the first five seconds; the dreadlocked hair was just too much for her to bear. She cracked up into hopeless hysteria, tears flooding from her eyes as she pounded the floor with her hands and buried her head into her elbows; anything, _anything_ to take her mind off the awful lightning dancing across her soles.

"Wahahahahahaha, Knuxehehehehehe", she screamed aloud, begging for a minute's rest, a second's pause, but none arrive, "no, no mohohohohohohohore".

"Hey, be grateful", the reply came as Knuckles wrinkled his nose and moved his dreadlocks down to attack the arches of her left foot, "I have to deal with the smell".

"You, yohohohohu slime! You're gonna pahahahahahay".

"Make me", a thought occurred to the echidna and he paused for a second, "aren't spies supposed to be resistant to torture? Hey, you should thank me – I'm exposing a weakness for you to deal with…Rouge?" The spy couldn't reply; her air had run out a while ago and she suddenly seized up, her entire body going rigid as a board for want of breath. This reaction triggered of a single memory in the guardian – from that single memory an entire future flashed up in front of Knuckles; he froze in light of its certainty and felt part of him roll over and expire.

Knuckles immediately stopped everything he was doing, happiness evaporating, cold anguish and dread flooding him as he realised he'd gone too far; he'd given into temptation and pushed her beyond the safe limit; it was as if he'd applied one of his wrestling locks too hard and damaged one of her limbs. The echidna recognised the seizure; he'd had one like it before when he'd been training himself to dive for long periods of time and accidentally gone too deep; a lack of oxygen had resulted in painful cramps lasting nearly a week, and now that might happen to Rouge. He should have had more self-control than that, no matter what the circumstances were – that lapse could cost him something almost as important as the power source of his island. He lowered his head as the full folly of what he had done, and what it would mean in the future, crashed down on him; Rouge would hate him for exploiting her weakness like that, and she would leave him alone again.

The bat relaxed slowly – that had almost been too much for her and she realised she couldn't take another attack like that.

"Knuckles, please don't do that again". Rouge's tone was soft and designed not to be dismissed, even by a heart as tough as the echidnas'.

"Okay Rouge; I won't". She slowly turned as much as was possible to look at him as he let her rest; he even looked ashamed of himself as he waited for her to recover. _He won't do that again; he cares too much to put me…wait, he cares! He cares! He has to; if he didn't he wouldn't even have considered stopping!_ For a second the bat saw the plain truth; even before Seraph had started his campaign of revenge, she had thought about him – that mad bats' scheming had forced them closer and now they were visiting each other almost as friends. _It could be more; it should be more_ – the echidna's magnanimity had been the catalyst Rouge had needed to finally admit the truth held deep within her heart to the person who had been least able to see it – herself. She almost cried as the conflicting emotions threatened to spill over but she held herself in check; Knuckles hadn't seen it and…was he okay?

_I nearly hurt her_; that one thought pounded mercilessly at Knuckles' mind as he still held the bat captive – the only reason he hadn't let go was because the turmoil he was in had left him incapable of movement. _The one person I care deepest about, the one person I love and I nearly hurt her. Yes, I said love; I love Rouge and this is how I show it – by nearly choking her out of air! She deserves someone better, someone who'll treat her like the star she is._ The echidna felt truly wretched; at that moment someone could have taken the Master Emerald and crushed it to powder in front of his eyes and he doubted he'd have batted an eyelid. A tear dripped from his right eye as Knuckles felt the pull of the pit, his own personal hell of isolation and loneliness, tug at him again; there was no way Rouge would ever want to return to see him again, not after he'd nearly hurt her like that.

"Knuckles?" _Oh no_; the guardian raised his head and blinked back tears; he couldn't let her see him now, she'd think it was her fault and she'd feel even worse.

"Yes?" _I knew it; there's something wrong_ – Rouge was filled with concern as she saw through the echidna's façade of innocence, and confirmed it when with a tiny effort she pulled her legs free from his previously unshakeable grip. She pushed herself up into a kneeling position facing him, keeping her face neutral as she asked quietly,

"What's wrong?"

From outside, it sounded like it had suddenly gone quiet and then that question had come like a bolt from the blue. Shadow suddenly became completely alert; waving down the hushed questions of the others he quickly whispered orders,

"No-one say anything; just listen and shut up – this could be crucial and we mustn't disturb them". All five Mobians held a collective breath, each with their fingers crossed as each asked, in their own way, for the right things to happen.

"I nearly hurt you". The reply was pained and, as he looked up, not daring to hold her gaze, Rouge was shocked to see tears glistening in Knuckles' deep purple eyes. _What, he's crying because he thought he hurt me?_

"Knuckles, you, look at me", she commanded; with great reluctance the guardian complied, shying away from her as though afraid she'd strike him, "I'm fine; I've got a bit of a stitch if that – you of all people should know I'm not exactly fragile".

"Doesn't matter", _don't make excuses for me; it's my fault, I should know better_, "I recognised the seize-up", the guardian sniffed as the spy tried to make sense of what he was saying, "lack of oxygen, you could have cramped up, or worse".

"But I didn't; you didn't do anything wrong".

"I could have". Rouge shook her head at this, to her, puzzling line of thought,

"And the sky might fall down tomorrow; I'm not hurt and…" Knuckles couldn't hold it back anymore; the same strength that allowed him to destroy those that would threaten anything close to him was unleashed against the most recent perpetrator; himself.

"That's not the point!" Outside, five Mobians scrambled backwards at the raw pain in the echidna's shout; from within Rouge could see Knuckles was crying openly now; the guardian was being ripped apart by something and roaring in pain, "the point is I didn't see what I could have done until it was too late; I put you in danger because I didn't see it in time. I nearly hurt you, like I've hurt and failed everything else", Rouge covered her mouth as Knuckles went on, she literally could not believe what the echidna was saying as he continued raving at himself, at his past, "I couldn't protect the Master Emerald from Eggman, I couldn't stop Perfect Chaos because I wasn't able to protect the Chaos emeralds and I damn near _delivered_ you to Seraph; you could have died and I let it happen…" Rouge lost it; quick as a striking snake her hand lashed out, catching the guardian full on the cheek as the bat whispered in a voice laden with rage and disbelief,

"How dare you".

The emotion battled clear of Rouge as she realised just what was happening to the one Mobian who had finally managed to break through to her – behind the mask of steel and skin of iron lurked a heart of glass. It was his isolation; Knuckles had always been alone and drew on that a source of strength. _It's a poisoned chalice; I drank from it once before and only the guild saved me from myself_; Rouge was nearly as distraught as the weeping guardian before her as the truth finally revealed itself in all its twisted glory – Knuckles couldn't bear to have things that were precious to him harmed or despoiled; they were all he had to cling to. Any threat to them was dealt with swiftly and without mercy, for by threatening them an enemy threatened Knuckles himself. The mere thought that he had harmed her, and because of it she would hate him, had crushed him like no damage to his body ever could.

That was why he kept himself alone, away from Sonic and the rest; by not making many bonds he kept his heart shielded and himself safe from pain; in his mind, that made him stronger because potential enemies couldn't hurt him. But at the same time, there was always the threat of one of the few attachments he had made being used against him and that gnawed at him continuously. It was a no-win situation; he was constantly alone with the fear of one of his bonds being under threat and protected them with all his might, but when his might was found lacking he raved and blamed himself, the ghost of his own mortal failings haunting him like a malevolent spirit. He hovered on the edge of a dark abyss Rouge knew all too well; she had teetered on the brink during the years after her mother's death, when she had been reluctant to connect to anyone, for fear of being hurt again if they left her. It all made sense now and…a sudden fear froze the bat's blood – too much damage and Knuckles would fall forever into a depression he might never escape from. _He's bonded to me and by that he blames himself if I'm in danger_; as one part of Rouge finally exploded with happiness as she realised that Knuckles cared for her, another steeled itself for what she would have to do next.

_Oh God, this is it – whatever she does I deserve it, and more_; Knuckles made to drop his eyes but Rouge gripped his face and forced him to meet her determined, driving gaze.

"How dare you think of yourself as hurting people; how dare you even think of considering yourself a failure", _what_; before he could argue she had carried on, "after everything you've done, all the times you've fought back from the brink and won. You made mistakes in the past Knuckles; you admitted them to help me and the rest of the guild get over Seraph's story. You said Nack wasn't the only one to make a mistake – well nor are you Knuckles Echidna", Rouge felt her own eyes start to leak as she strove to make the echidna understand, "you made them because you're mortal, but you made up for them. You say you couldn't protect the emerald from Eggman; you got it back. Perfect Chaos was defeated and you had a hand in that, a big hand. When I was taken, Sonic told me that you literally threw yourself down that mine shaft to come after me. Jesus Knuckles, I wouldn't even be here if it hadn't been for you at the ARK".

The guardian buried his head in his hands, howling like his glass heart was being crushed in a fist – his reservoir of strength had turned against him; he had threatened her and he flew at himself with all the ferocity he would have released on anyone else. He hammered at his own mind, doubt, fear and loneliness assailing him and slashing his heart with cruel claws. Knuckles wished for all the world that he was somewhere, anywhere other than here, undergoing anything but the pain from his own tortured psyche. He was aware of a voice as Rouge pressed on; no matter how much it hurt both of them, if she couldn't make Knuckles see this now, she doubted the ever-present spectre of failure would ever leave him.

"You saved countless lives because of your actions and the world owes you a debt. You're afraid of connecting with anything in case it hurts you, well life hurts Knuckles. I felt the pain when my mother died and", _the perfect example_, "and do you know what will happen if you don't break this cycle of isolation and pain? If you take too much of it and you break?" She was nearly screaming now, forcing the guardian to hear her over his own agony.

"You'll become something like Seraph. Yeah, him; he said in that letter he had felt too much pain and snapped, becoming whatever he is now. Is that what you want Knuckles – you want to become an emotionless robot? Well I won't let you", he glanced up, the single glance that reflected his greatest hope and fear; this time Rouge saw it and understood perfectly, "I am not going to let you do this to yourself; I love you, Knucklehead!" She reached forwards and pulled him into her as she had not four months ago at Jessie Wheatear's, wrapping her arms and wings around him, her tears soaking his shoulder again as he howled pure, undiluted misery out of himself.

His were not the only tears being shed; outside Knuckles' friends, those who had thought themselves close to the guardian, were rocked to the core by these revelations, none more so than Sonic. The blue hedgehog had been flattened by the echidna's confession; _and I called myself his friend – some friend I am if I couldn't see something like that_. Tails was wiping tear tracks from the fur of his cheeks as Cream held onto him; the rabbit was confused as to how something so fun could suddenly turn so serious and was saddened because of it.

"Don't go", all eyes turned to Amy as she dried her eyes on the shoulder of her dress, "we, we gotta see this through, and say it as well, at the end; Knuckles needs to know we're here for him". Sonic nodded thickly, still disbelieving that Knuckles, the one constant serious influence in his life, had suddenly revealed his inner demons and proved himself mortal after all. To all listening it felt like they aged ten years before finally, finally, the tormented crying began to quieten.

Rouge held the slumped guardian upright as Knuckles simply let go of it all; the fear, the guilt, the darkness that clutched at his soul every time he felt one of his friends in trouble or one of his duties unfulfilled. He had looked at going it alone, never putting anyone but himself at risk, as a source of strength; it had lent him grim determination and power whenever he had need of it but now it approached to break his heart forever; in his mind the strength morphed into a dread wraith – a black figure emerged, a soulless and silent executioner as close to the walking dead as it was possible to be. _Seraph, no, I can't be like that, I can't live while dead inside_; Knuckles clutched at the one he was being held by, drawing from her, and her words, a new fount of strength and inner resolve, one that might not need the sacrifice of his soul before it empowered him – one that was given free as long as he let it flow to him. He sobbed until he felt faint, the room he had built with his bare hands swaying unsteadily as slowly he came back from the brink, pushing himself away from the pit of nightmares and nothingness, towards a brighter future, a future he had never before allowed himself to consider.

"Let it go Knuckles", he heard the soft voice in his ear, a pair of hands stroking his dreadlocks as he finally expelled all he could, "it's all over". He didn't answer, he simply clung on, holding onto Rouge like a drowning man would hold a life jacket.

"I understand", she said as he gradually began to loosen his hold, settling back down onto his haunches, "I've felt the same pain, the same fear of people getting close and then leaving, all the way through the orphanage; it was the guild that saved me". The guardian finally found his tongue again though his voice was a froggy croak,

"They helped you?"

"Yeah, all of them; I could talk to them and eventually trusted them all. I was lucky to have that", Rouge favoured Knuckles with a shared, secret smile, "I know you were alone all the way through, even after the Death Egg. You couldn't say anything, it just bottled up inside and eventually, pop!"

"I can't…"

"You already have Knuckles", Rouge guessed his sentence and answered it for him, "with everything you've done already – from ARK to Seraph and since then". _I did it; he's through_; Rouge saw the changes in his face that had once happened to her and smiled at him calmly. _She doesn't hate me and, and she said that, she…_

"You, you said you, loved me?" Knuckles wasn't sure those had been her exact words, but he remembered them dimly, as though they were spoken through a solid steel door. Rouge put a hand on his shoulder and nodded, just once; the new strength flowed to Knuckles in a torrent and this time he embraced it fully, revelling in the light, not the darkness. Rouge felt herself drawn forwards and didn't resist, in fact she encouraged it; both Mobians embraced each other, not because of tragedy and strife, or for the purpose of one embarrassing the other as they had in the past, but because it was right, it felt right and neither of them questioned that it wasn't right.

"Go for it Knuckles". It took all the self-control Amy had left to keep her voice down as the others around her punched the air and grinned in silent celebration even before they could quit their own crying; Knuckles was going to be alright now and that was all that mattered. As they celebrated quietly outside, a pair of voices were heard from inside,

"Remember what I said earlier Knuckles?"

"No. Which bit?" Sonic felt the tension ease from his body as he realised that was Knuckles, the more confident Knuckles, back again as he answered the bat.

"When I said, you need to laugh more!"

"Cheheheheat", there was a sudden series of thumps and soft crashes, "feel my fury!"

"Nohohoho!"

"Mr. Knuckles is all right now, isn't he?" Cream said, her brown eyes radiating the joy she now felt coming from the room in front of her. Shadow put a hand on the young rabbit's shoulder as he realised that his intuition had been proven right.

"Yeah kid; he and Rouge are all right now".

"Speaking of which", Tails stood up and inclined his head towards the door as the struggles went on for minutes, "shall we make a quiet entrance?"

Knuckles sank down onto his bedroom floor, body alive with a feeling that went way beyond happy and left euphoria in the dust. It felt like, for the first time ever, he was truly alive and had something to be alive for. Speaking of which, the guardian extended one of his arms and Rouge gratefully sank down onto it, the cushion of flesh much more welcome than the harder floor. The echidna looked over and smiled, overcome with this new, previously unknown emotion.

"Rouge, what did we just do?" The bat laughed at this question; in all honesty she was barely sure herself,

"We acted like kids, tickled each other silly and then I finally admitted the truth", the bat glanced over to the prone form of the guardian, "I wasn't faking this time Knuckles, I really do love you".

"The feeling is far more than mutual".

"That's why you were always stronger than me", the echidna gave a curious glance, causing Rouge to roll her eyes and explain, "you admitted to yourself how you felt and dealt with it in your own way; I never even admitted it to myself until now", she shook her head and patted the hand that currently rested near her left ear, "you're a stronger Mobian that I was Knucks".

"Can I get that in writing?"

"You're awful" the bat declared, though inside she saw this as a sign that Knuckles, the Knuckles she knew and had fallen for, was back and never going away, never returning to the cold, hard Mobian she had glimpsed in the past. She had never felt more certain of anything, and never had she been gladder of being certain.

_I am alive_; Knuckles felt the flow of warmth, of companionship, and revelled in it to the full; now that he knew what love felt like he was shocked that he had survived for as long as he had without it. There was a sudden itch on his chest and he lazily rolled his eyes downwards, to see one of Rouge's fingers slowly tracing the mark on his fur.

"What are you doing?"

"Just wondered", the bat didn't stop her movement and Knuckles made no move to dissuade her, "how did you get that crest; were you born with it or do you have to dye it constantly?"

"It's natural – you can stop now" he said chidingly, causing Rouge to stick her tongue out at him playfully and challenge,

"Don't deny it; you're enjoying this". The guardian decided on the best course of action and smiled back at her,

"About as much as you'll enjoy this". Slowly, he brought up the hand that was behind her head and, using a single finger, gently stroked one of the bat's massive ears. Rouge gave a long, shuddering sigh as the echidna repeated the movement, eyes half closed in an ecstasy of pleasure.

"I won't, s,stop if you don't".

"Fair enough".

Rouge luxuriated in the comfort she found herself in; she was close to the one she cared for, fully aware of how he felt and, as a final cherry on top, he was stroking her ears. In the bat species, these large appendages were considered both blessing and curse; if they were pulled or caught they caused an awful lot of pain – bats with pierced ears were almost unheard of, but at the same time, if gently massaged, they were supersensitive and highly receptive. _Life just couldn't get better than this_; Rouge felt everything – the movement of his finger, the rough feel of his…wait a minute, now was as good a time as any to ask.

"Knuckles?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you wear those gloves of yours?"

"Because my hands are ugly". The response was so frank and open that Rouge nearly laughed out loud; she imagined trying to ask that question half an hour ago and shuddered at the potential response she would have received. Still, she was curious; she had some suspicions but she wanted a little proof.

"May I see them?"

"Sure, but I warned you". Slowly, Knuckles brought his other glove to his mouth and bit into in, drawing forth the hand it encased. The fur was thin and a little ragged, but it was the spurs that really drew her attention. They were just naked bone, splitting out the skin at the top of his hand and jutting aggressively into the air as though impaling it. Though dangerous and potentially lethal weapons, Rouge was a little unimpressed – if he thought those were bad he had another thing coming. She mimicked his gesture, biting off the glove of her free hand and exposing it to the light of day.

Knuckles was a little shocked by this; he'd never even considered, not for a single second, that Rouge wore her gloves for any other reason than fashion or usefulness; however, he quickly realised he had been wrong. The hand was startlingly small; the glove must have been well padded, and the fingers were long and spindly. However, it was the fur, or rather, the lack of it, that marked out the bat's hand. Her skin was bright, shockingly pink and looked surprisingly like a baby's. All but the nails, they were a jet black that clashed with the surrounding skin terribly. She flexed them and smiled ruefully,

"See, you're not the only one with bad hands", she extended her naked appendage towards his, and he reciprocated; slowly and carefully, their fingers entwined, the bat's hand dwarfed by the seemingly monstrous paw of the echidna.

"So we're not so different after all", Knuckles said slowly, realising this was another aspect they shared, another peg slotted home, "would you stay here Rouge?"

Five Mobians, just outside the door, froze and held their breath.

"What?"

"I asked if you'd stay here. On Angel Island. With me", the guardian gave his own rueful smile, "if it's a tad forward I apologise, but I've wanted to ask for a long time and, well, never had the guts to go through with it before". Rouge didn't answer immediately, she was reeling from this; never, in her wildest imagination, did she ever even consort the possibility that the echidna would ever make the offer he had just made. Her head span; it was only when Knuckles spoke again that she came back down to earth.

"Don't answer now, you've probably got too much going on down below to think about it and…"

"Knuckles", she cut him off quietly and without malice, "do you have any idea what my life down below is like?"

"Not a clue, though I imagine it's hectic and always busy".

"Right on both counts; I spend most of my day at work, sat in front of a computer screen filling out forms, sending e-mail and playing Solitaire", the echidna chuckled, imagining the impact this dreary routine must have had on the vivacious bat next to him, "I spend about five percent of my life in the field and haven't been out since Eggman was put away. I'm beginning to hate my job". Knuckles felt hope stir in his heart as he asked,

"Your club?"

"Club Rouge?" the bat gave a heartfelt laugh as she realised Knuckles hadn't heard, "Knuckles, I haven't owned that thing for six months; I signed over to a new, and much better, proprietor".

"Who?"

"Omega".

"Omega!" the echidna exclaimed, "so that's where he's been hiding out; I wondered where he'd gone".

"Keep it under your hat – the government's still keeping an eye out for him. But anyway, in answer to your question, this island is a god-send; I'm always active, I'm close to the M.E and", she nuzzled up close to him and whispered, "I'm close to the man I love; I'd be honoured to stay here".

Five breaths were simultaneously released and five victory poses struck as five friends rejoiced in the answer and what it meant for Knuckles and Rouge. In that small room, two lips locked and two soul-mates hugged as though they'd never let each other go.

The pair eventually parted, settling back fulfilled as Knuckles was struck by a thought and giggled,

"Rouge, we are the original odd couple", the echidna looked amazed until she calmed down slightly, "how are we going to let the others know about this; they all think we'd rip each other apart given half a chance".

"Good point, we'll ring round", the bat hooked her bag off the end of the bed with her foot, "lucky I put your phone in here".

"I wondered where that had gone". Knuckles took his mobile and triggered the on switch, listening to the familiar tone as it switched itself on. Just before he could press any buttons though, it rang and vibrated in his hand as he received a call. _Talk about ironic_.

"Hey Sonic, how are you?"

"Fine", his blue hedgehog replied, "Knuckles, just a quick question; asked Rouge out yet?" Normally that would have had the echidna cutting him off but somehow Sonic knew that wouldn't happen this time.

"I swear you get more random every day; is this some kind of crank call?"

"Nah, but it's a bit of a stitch up, Mr Best Martial Artist". Knuckles felt an uncomfortable tingle in his mind as he glanced at Rouge, the bat also looked a little worried at the hedgehog's amazing perception.

"Umm, Sonic, what are you saying?"

"Oh sorry, I forgot", not two seconds away the blue hedgehog gave a thumbs-up to his sniggering companions, "Rouge never actually admitted that did she?" He heard a concerned voice through the phone,

"What, how did you…?"

"Check your calendar Knuxie. See you in a sec". The line went dead and Knuckles finally remembered what day it was.

"Oh no", the echidna covered his face with his hands, dragging them down it in horror as he repeated himself, "oh _no_! It's Mushroom day and I completely forgot".

"In English?"

"I invited Sonic, Shadow, Amy, Cream and Tails up here to get the island ready for winter; I forgot they were coming today, and", sound filtered through to the echidna's ears and he went as red as he could get, "they're currently stood outside my bedroom door – listen, you can hear them". Rouge shut her eyes in embarrassment as muffled laugher filtered through the closed door.

"Oh boy; why do I get the feeling they won't let us forget this?"

"Because we're not going to" came Shadow's voice as Knuckles heaved himself upright, offering his hand and pulling the blushing bat to her feet.

"Well, come on in then", he shouted through the door, offering a better-now-than-later look that Rouge nodded at. All five Mobians trooped into the small bedroom, all grinning and offering unsaid congratulations to the pair as they stood, holding each other's hand and blushing brilliantly. In the end, Sonic strode forwards and clapped his echidna friend on the shoulder,

"Well done Knucks; you two deserve nothing less that each other but", his green eyes flashed dangerously, "if you are ever, _ever_, so stupid as to hide something like that from me, from all of us, again I will hunt you down and beat you to death with the Master Emerald". The echidna's eyes widened for a second,

"You heard…?"

"Enough, but it doesn't matter now", Cream replied, smiling up at the pair joyfully, "you and Ms. Rouge are together now, it's all okay".

"You said it floppy", Cream mock-scowled at this affectionate nickname, acquired from the size of her ears and the way they swung as she walked, "we're together now". _Sounds like a dream, and what the hell, maybe it did come true_. The echidna stretched and headed for the door.

"Well, come on; those 'shrooms aren't going to trim themselves", there was a dangerous silence from behind him and he turned to see every eye reflecting gentle maliciousness at him, "What?" Rouge, smirking and grateful for the help, spoke next,

"Go for the ribs". Knuckles had enough time for one shout of protest, just one, before all his friends and his new girlfriend piled into him and buried him beneath a mountain of happiness. He prayed he would remain entombed within it forever.

A/N – So what did you think? Knuckles was a bit full of angst but that's just how I imagine him to be – I reckon if his friends are threatened he's the kind of guy who would blame himself and feel terrible because of it. PLEASE R&R THIS FIC AND LET ME KNOW IF I CAN DO ANGST PROPERLY. If you get a moment, read my other fic as well; if I hear good things I'll be able to start the next in the series – A Bloodstone Rose (yes, it will have SonAmy in it, but not the way you might think…).


End file.
